Eternity
by iMelinda
Summary: Now that the artifacts are hidden and the demon prison is almost perfectly secure, it is time to choose new Eternals, and Kendra's name is first on the list. A small group of foes, however, is ready to open Zzyzx once again, and they must be stopped.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Ahhh! Stupid me wrote in six Eternals instead of five! Just ignore that tiny factor as you read my story. We can pretend that it's an extra precaution on Zzyzx – you have to get rid of all six instead of five. Yeah, that's it…

* * *

"No, absolutely not," declared Scott.

"Don't be absurd - she's just a child!" agreed Marla.

"She's eighteen now," Grandpa reminded them.

"Being an Eternal is a job for a seasoned warrior," Warren reasoned. "I think it would be unwise for Kendra to take up such a position."

"Well, we all know the reason she wants to do it anyways," Seth muttered.

The adults halted their argument and looked at him expectantly. "Well?" Vanessa finally asked.

"Gosh, are you guys blind?" exclaimed Seth. "She wants to be with Bracken! He's immortal, so she wants to be as well."

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "I thought we agreed that relationship was absurd from the start."

"Right, that's not hypocritical at all," Tanu challenged. Vanessa glared at him, a blush creeping into her face.

"As fascinating as this discussion is," the Sphinx broke in, "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it. I am merely here to inform you of Kendra's choice."

Everyone stared at him blankly.

"Kendra informed me that she wished to become the fifth and final Eternal on the night of the Winter Solstice two years ago, when I was last at Fablehaven," he explained.

Scott grew red in the face. "Why are you only telling us now?" he shouted.

"There is a ceremony that will make it official. It is not possible to induct her until she turns eighteen, which will happen at approximately forty-six minutes past noon today," said the Sphinx.

"And yet you were able to accept her choice when she was only fifteen?" cried Grandma.

The Sphinx shrugged. "When the system was devised, they didn't expect someone so young to take up the position. They installed only minor precautions."

"This is an outrage," Marla insisted. "Is there any way to prevent it?"

"Not as far as I'm aware," the Sphinx said. "Kendra wishes to become an Eternal, and it is her choice."

"Well, I'm not happy with her choice," Scott decreed.

"Nor I," said Grandma.

The others voiced their agreement. Only Seth remained silent.

"Is there anything you'd like to say on the matter, Seth?" inquired Grandpa.

He shrugged. "From what I hear, there's nothing I can do about it, and if Kendra's happy, I'm probably not going to complain. I'm kinda jealous, though. It sounds cool."

Scott rolled his eyes and the Sphinx opened his mouth to say something, but Seth cut him off. "I know, it's a big responsibility and all of that, blah blah blah. Can't a guy have a fantasy?"

"No," said Marla, and they laughed.

"When will the ceremony be?" asked Grandma.

To Seth's surprise, Warren answered instead of the Sphinx. "Agad will arrive soon, and he will perform the rites at midnight."

Dale frowned. "Dare I ask how you know that?"

Warren coughed innocently. "No."

"We have more than one future Eternal in this room," the Sphinx explained.

"So Warren, Kendra, you - who else is an Eternal?" wondered Seth aloud.

The Sphinx looked uncomfortable. "I'm really not supposed to say, even though it doesn't appear that any of you are likely to want to open Zzyzx, because you could be captured and that information shouldn't be in your brains to be tortured out of you."

Seth gulped. "Lovely."

The Sphinx's expression softened. "I'm not saying you _will_ be tortured, just that we should avoid that possible future."

Three floors below them, the doorbell rang. Grandpa stood up. "That will be Agad."

"Wait – how did he get past the gate?" worried Grandma.

"I put his name on the register a few days ago," Grandpa soothed.

The doorbell rang again, giving off a sense of urgency.

"As patient as ever," Warren muttered.

The adults – and Seth – exited the attic.

* * *

Kendra glanced at her watch. Eleven fifty-two. Only three minutes had passed since she last checked. Just eight more minutes to go…

She fingered the lace on the plain white gown she was supposed to wear for the ceremony. She couldn't imagine why it was required. Maybe the smooth fabric had magical properties. Perhaps it was stronger than armor and she was wearing it for protection. Or maybe she was just reading too far into things. Perhaps it was just a pretty dress.

Eleven fifty-three. Time sure was crawling.

Kendra's parents had been giving her the cold shoulder since that morning. They had come down from their oh-so-secret meeting in the attic with grim looks on their faces and hadn't so much as looked at Kendra except to give her disapproving glances. She guessed that the Sphinx had revealed the names of the Eternals and Scott and Marla weren't pleased by Kendra's decision. They'd get over it in the end, though. Probably.

Not for the first time that day, Kendra thought about what it would be like to be immortal. Never growing old, never changing. Eighteen years old forever – she'd never have to suffer the hardships of old age. She wondered if she'd ever get tired of it, like Mark, one of the former Eternals had. She wondered what her shape-shifter would be like. She wondered when anyone would try to open Zzyzx again. _If_ anyone would try. Kendra had wondered a lot about the future in the past few days.

Eleven fifty-six. Just three more minutes until she had to be at the shrine, the place with the highest concentration of magic in Fablehaven. She should probably get going. But she still stood in the garden for a few more moments, breathing in the sweet night air. A few fairies floated around among the flowers, but most of them were asleep. One flew up to Kendra, who smiled. It was Shiara – possibly her favorite fairy, though she would never tell the others that.

"You should get going," Shiara chided. "You're going to be late."

"I know," Kendra murmured.

"Do you remember the way?" asked Shiara.

"Yeah, of course. I'll go now." Kendra started up the path. Eleven fifty-seven.

Shiara flew after her. "You're not regretting your decision, are you?"

Kendra shook her head as if clearing cobwebs from her brain. "No, of course not," she said firmly.

The two approached the hedge that surrounded the shrine. "I'll leave you here," Shiara said. The fairy fluttered away.

Eleven fifty-eight.

Kendra cautiously approached the shrine to the Fairy Queen. The naiads' lake was eerily smooth. A gleaming silver canoe floated on the placid water. _The others must be on the island already,_ Kendra thought. She didn't know who the other Eternals were, other than the Sphinx. She wondered if she knew any of them. She wondered if she could make friends with the ones she didn't know. There she went, wondering again…

Kendra stepped into the canoe. It didn't bob the slightest when she put her full wait on it. As soon as she was seated, it floated swiftly to the island. She wondered if the naiads were asleep. She wondered if the Fairy Queen had ordered them not to rock the canoe, or maybe they just knew to stay away from the shrine tonight.

The silver canoe didn't even tremble when it brushed up against the sand. As always before stepping onto the shrine, Kendra searched her feelings – but she knew it was right to be here.

The Fairy Queen's shrine was much larger than it had been before it was destroyed, but Kendra knew her way around. Every time Bracken visited they met at the shrine and went for brief, pleasant walks around the safe areas of the preserve. She headed straight for the miniature statue where she always met him.

The others were already gathered. Kendra grinned as she recognized Warren. There was no way he'd miss out on an adventure like this. The Sphinx was there too, of course, and she knew Agad the wizard, who would be performing the ceremony. She didn't know the other three present, however: two men and one woman.

The taller of the two men was easily the tallest there, dwarfing Warren and Agad. He seemed to be made entirely of muscle. The scars on his arms showed that he had been in many fights. He smiled as he ran his fingers through his oil-black hair. The expression seemed out of place on one so strong.

The other man was slight by comparison. He was about as tall as Kendra, who was a good few inches shorter than Seth. Gray hair framed his wrinkled features. Kendra guessed he was the oldest there and wondered why he had volunteered to be an Eternal if he was going to suffer old age forever. Maybe becoming an Eternal healed your flaws.

The woman stood tall and proud. She had an ageless look about her – she could have been as young as thirty or as old as forty. Not one wrinkle adorned her smooth face. Her long, brown hair was in a straight braid down her back, a very simple, no-nonsense sort of hairstyle. From the way she tapped her foot Kendra guessed that she was impatient to begin.

Eleven fifty-nine.

Just noticing Kendra, Warren flashed a smile and waved to her. Kendra waved back. The woman noticed his gesture and glanced at her.

"Are you bringing a message from ze house?" the woman asked with an apparent French accent.

Kendra furrowed her brow. No one had said anything, other than good luck, they loved her, and similar phrases, before she left – was she supposed to have a message?

Warren seemed to understand what the French woman meant, however. He gave her a glare and said, "Kendra is the fifth Eternal."

"What!" the woman cried. "She eez just a child!"

Kendra supposed that this wouldn't be the best time to mention that she was eighteen, which still would probably make her look young in comparison to the others. "I'm fairykind and a dragon slayer," she offered.

The woman sniffed daintily and looked away. Kendra jumped as she heard the Sphinx's deep voice behind her.

"Antoinette doesn't like being one-upped," he explained.

"I see," Kendra said, unable to think of any other response.

The French woman – Antoinette – ignored them. "Shouldn't we start?" she asked Agad imperiously.

Midnight.

"Yes, yes, of course," Agad replied. He cleared his throat and instructed, "Please clasp hands and form a circle."

The Eternals-to-be obliged. Kendra ended up between Warren and the tall man.

"Before we begin the ceremony, you must be sure that this is what you want to do with your life," Agad stated. "It is a great commitment. Some may find it unbearable after thousands of years, but you must remain steadfast." He paused, and Kendra guessed he was thinking of Mark, the Eternal who had basically committed suicide. "I would like your word from each of you."

No one said anything for a moment. Then, Warren declared, "I pledge myself to the great Agad as an Eternal, and I swear to uphold this pledge for the rest of my life."

Antoinette rolled her eyes. The shorter man clapped halfheartedly.

"You need not be so spirited in your pledge," Agad assured them.

"I will hold firm to my choice," the Sphinx said simply.

Antoinette said something in French that Kendra didn't understand, but Agad nodded. For a brief moment, Kendra could understand the other woman. This was a very personal thing, and perhaps speaking in her native language made her feel better about it.

Or maybe Kendra was the only one of the six present who didn't speak French, and Antoinette wanted to embarrass her.

The two men gave their word as well. Only Kendra had yet to speak.

Kendra hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Becoming an Eternal was a great responsibility – did she really want to live for hundreds of years? A disturbing thought occurred to her – she would see her grandparents die, her parents, Tanu and their other friends – she would even outlive _Seth_. Was the sacrifice too great? She shook herself mentally. _Anything_ would be worth keeping Zzyzx closed.

"I pledge myself as an Eternal," she murmured.

If this had been a less serious occasion, Kendra could imagine Warren clapping his hands together and saying something along the lines of, "Now we can get started!" But her friend remained quiet, and Agad began the ceremony.

The wizard chanted in a language that Kendra couldn't understand, meaning it wasn't even a fairy language. She sensed that this language predated fairies by thousands of years.

The others' hands grew hot in Kendra's. A faint glow formed around their circle as Agad recited. She could feel a small lump forming in her right hand.

The magic grew so intense that Kendra didn't even notice when Agad fell silent at first. She realized she had been holding her breath and let it out slowly. She felt different, as if there was a great reservoir of energy inside her body, even greater than what the fairies had left with her.

"You may break the circle," Agad whispered. Kendra dropped the hands she had been holding but kept the lump clasped in her right. It felt smooth, like a marble, still warm within her fingers.

"In your right hand, you hold a small lump of clay," said Agad. "From these, your shape-shifters will form. They will be your eternal companions, perishing only when you do. They will be able to take on the form of any animal, but no human. Their duty, above all, is to protect you. You may open your hands now."

Kendra opened her fingers and looked at the small lump of clay resting on her palm. As she watched, it elongated slowly, then faster, and in a brilliant flash of light, turned into a fairy.

The others stared at her in shock. Their own shape-shifters had taken form, but none were a magical creature like Kendra's.

Even Agad seemed surprised. "It seems that fairy magic is rooted firmly in your being," he said, awed.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" the tall man whispered. "Fascinating."

Regaining his composure, Agad said, "You may get to know each other now. The formalities of the ceremony are over."

Once again, the Eternals fell quiet. This time, the shorter man broke the silence. "Isn't it dangerous for us all to be assembled here?" he asked.

"I suppose it is," Agad admitted, "but we've placed some extra precautions on the enchantments sealing Zzyzx. I won't go into specifics, but I'll just say that no one is likely to gather all five artifacts in the next hour, so we're relatively safe."

The Eternals still made no attempts at conversation.

"Not a talkative bunch, are you?" guessed Agad. "Come on, you should at least know each other's names."

"I'm Warren," Warren announced. "Formerly a Knight of the Dawn, but I sort of had to retire, since it's not a good idea for an Eternal to be on the front lines, if you know what I mean."

"I am known as the Sphinx," the Sphinx said, but Kendra guessed that everyone standing there knew exactly who he was.

"_Je m'appelle Antoinette_," Antoinette declared haughtily. For once, Kendra understood her.

Neither of the remaining men seemed eager to introduce themselves, so she stepped in. "My name is Kendra," she said. "I know I'm young, but I believe I can be as good at this as you guys are."

"Hear hear!" Warren enthused, clapping.

"You can call me Jim," said the shorter man. The taller, stronger man introduced himself as Eric.

They sat, once again, in silence, for a few minutes. Finally, Agad said, "You can leave now, and you'd best pack your bags, since we'll all be going our separate ways tomorrow. Congratulations," and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Eric rolled his eyes. "He always was one for dramatic exits."

"Well, I'm going to head back to the main house," said Warren. "I guess I'll see you all later." He walked out of the clearing with the statue and into the surrounding forest. A few moments later, Kendra could hear him swimming – actually _swimming_ – to the mainland.

"I guess the naiads aren't going to drown Eternals," she muttered.

Antoinette and Eric left without another comment. Kendra and Jim stood together, alone in the clearing with the statue of the Fairy Queen.

"I guess there's no point in hanging around," Jim said awkwardly. He walked swiftly away.

The silence was comfortable to Kendra. Looking down, she realized that the fairy was still in her hand. "Hi," she whispered to her.

The fairy flew up to look Kendra in the eye. "Hello," she said.

"Do you have a name?" Kendra asked, then realized what a foolish question it was. Of course she had a name; she was just as intelligent as a human being!

The fairy laughed, a tiny tinkle of musical bells. "Yes, you may call me Gratiana. You don't want to be called anything other than Kendra, do you?"

"No, Kendra is fine," Kendra replied. "Do you, um, change into anything else?"

"Well, I don't like to show off, but…" the fairy trailed off and instantaneously turned into a beautiful bird with golden feathers.

"Wow, a phoenix!" Kendra cried. Gratiana fluttered her feathers, pleased with herself. "I didn't know that shape-shifters could turn into magical creatures."

"We usually can't," Gratiana said. "I'm not sure why I can, but I bet you had something to do with it. Are you really fairykind?" As she spoke, she transformed back into a fairy, but this time with pale aqua skin and dragonfly wings.

"Yeah, I am," replied Kendra.

The fairy bowed her head respectfully. "All of the fairies look up to you," she said. "There is only one creature we honor more."

"The unicorn?" Kendra guessed.

"Yes, yes!" Gratiana exclaimed. "We are blessed to have our very own Queen as one of those magnificent beings."

A breeze stirred the branches of the clearing. A large, puffy dandelion seed tickled Kendra's nose, making her sneeze.

"I think we should leave," she said. "It's getting late."

"That sounds good to me," Gratiana agreed.

The silver canoe was waiting for them when they reached the shore of the island. Kendra stepped in and Gratiana perched on her shoulder. The ride to the mainland was just as smooth as the ride to the island; they were there in seconds.

As Kendra stepped onto the smooth grass, she felt something brush her from behind. Even as Gratiana cried, "Look out!" Kendra reached behind her and grabbed her attacker in a wrestling hold, twisting his arm. The man fell to the ground but another came at her from the front, holding a burlap sack.

Gratiana transformed into phoenix again and scratched at the man's face with her claws. Too late, Kendra realized that the sack had not been meant for her, but for Gratiana. In one swift movement, her new friend was caught inside the bag and the man was tying it tightly.

While she watched this spectacle, the first man had crept up behind her again and grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides. Kendra tried to cry out, but his other hand was firmly planted over her mouth. The man carrying the burlap sack reached into a pocket and pulled out what looked like a handful of sand. He threw the dust in Kendra's face, causing her to sneeze repeatedly.

Her eyelids instantly grew heavy. Even breathing seemed to be an effort. She struggled as one of the men threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but it felt like she was moving through syrup. Eventually, she gave up fighting and lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Author's note:**

I am a bad, bad person… I put my other stories on hold and start writing something brand new! I can't even guarantee that this will be finished. And the first chapter ended up so long that any future chapters will look pathetically short by comparison. Oh well ;)

I usually feel like writing another chapter is a chore that I have to force myself to do, but I was eager to work on this one. It seems that whenever I start a story on paper it never gets finished, so I finally wrote this on the computer (a sadly unportable device), and other things ended up getting in my way. *headdesk*

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this, since I sure enjoyed writing it! Any reviews are, of course, greatly appreciated, and suggestions/critique are always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As the moon began its descent through the night sky, Seth climbed carefully out his bedroom window. Since Kendra had turned eighteen, she was officially an adult and the protection spells wouldn't work for her, so she had moved to a room downstairs and Seth had the attic to himself. It was weird, not having to worry about waking his sister when he snuck out, but she wasn't even in the house that night anyway. This was the main reason Seth had chose that particular night for his moonlit escapade.

A small portion of the roof jutted out underneath the window. Seth cautiously put his weight on it, and, when he was certain it would hold him, stood up. The next bit would be easy, since the roof had a gentle upward slope, giving the attic its pointed ceiling. Testing each shingle before he stepped on it, Seth climbed to the top of the roof.

During a major power outage due to a snowstorm the previous winter, Seth had developed the ability to see in the dark. Just when he thought he'd exhausted the powers he could have as a shadow-charmer, something new surprised him. This ability was especially useful, because the climb on top of the house would have been much more dangerous if he'd needed to use one hand to hold a flashlight.

Seth slowly climbed along the very tip of the roof, a steep drop on either side of him. If someone had told him three years ago that someday he would crawl along the top of a two-story (not counting the attic) building, in the middle of the night, without a flashlight, for _fun_, he would have laughed in their face. But here he was. His adventure tonight was not entirely for fun, though – he was up here to talk to someone. He might not get another chance with his sister around.

Finally, Seth reached the far side of the roof. There was a nice alcove here where the roof met the tower. It was a great place to sit in to think, if you enjoyed that sort of thing. Apparently _he_ did, since Seth had seen him sitting up here the previous day.

"Bracken," Seth hissed.

There was a flickering of light in the alcove, and Bracken appeared. Seth raised his eyebrows, impressed. He hadn't known unicorns could go invisible.

"Seth? What are you doing up here this late?" Bracken asked.

"I wanted to talk to you without Kendra breathing down my neck," Seth explained. "Anyway, I could ask you the same question. We thought you weren't getting here until tomorrow!"

Bracken scooted over and motioned for Seth to sit next to him. He obliged, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"I needed some time off to think, Bracken said. "Working on the Fairy Queen's new realm – I feel like I'm never alone."

"Is it about Kendra?" Seth asked. He mentally cringed, wondering if he had gone too far.

Bracken seemed unsurprised. "Among other things," he admitted.

"Does she know you're here?" wondered Seth. If she did, he thought, she had a great poker face. Or maybe she wasn't fazed by her immortal crush anymore.

He gave a small smile. "Not yet. I'm planning to surprise her when they get back."

"She'll be ecstatic," Seth said truthfully.

The smile widened. "I hope so."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. The moon appeared from behind a cloud, illuminating Bracken's fair features and turning his silvery hair pure white.

"They haven't returned yet, have they?" asked Bracken. He almost sounded worried.

"Nope." Seth checked his watch and added, "It's only one, though. Give them time."

"I saw lights at the fairy shrine about half an hour ago," Bracken muttered. "Surely they're almost finished."

"Cool, what did it look like?" Seth asked. "Any fireworks?"

"No, nothing you'd find interesting," Bracken said with a grin. "More like a soft glow. Of course, I'm pretty sure it wasn't on this spectrum anyways."

Seth rolled his eyes jokingly. "There's a lot of invisible light out there that I can't see," he complained.

"Maybe you need glasses," Bracken teased.

Seth chuckled. Man, it felt good to kid around with someone. Everything had been about Kendra, Kendra, Kendra for the past few days. His sister had even monopolized their friend on his previous visits, of which there had been exactly two. Not that he blamed her, really. Bracken was easily likeable.

"We should go inside," Seth suggested. "It might be best not to surprise your hosts as well as Kendra."

"I suppose that would be the polite thing to do," Bracken agreed.

Seth was about to ask Bracken how he'd gotten up here when he stood up, vanished from the roof in a flash and reappeared in the yard below. Smiling up at Seth, Bracken waved.

"Show-off," Seth muttered, and began the perilous climb back to his window.

* * *

Since Kendra had first been introduced to the magical world at Fablehaven, she had been kidnapped twice, not counting the time she'd been captured as a result of a failed rescue mission. So far, she appeared to be much better off now than on either of the previous occasions. First of all, even though her limbs were bound and she was sitting in the back of an SUV going who-knows-where at insane speeds, she wasn't gagged, so she was able to cuss out her kidnappers using any words she chose. Second, and perhaps most importantly, she had Gratiana for company. Her new friend was still in phoenix form, trapped in a birdcage on the seat next to her. The cage was magically enchanted to prevent Gratiana from transforming into a larger animal and breaking the metal bars, but at least they could converse secretly in a fairy language neither of their kidnappers understood.

Also on the plus side were the facts that no one had replaced her with a stingbulb, so her friends and family might actually realize she was missing, and that those same people hadn't been captured as well, like when they had tried to rescue Seth from Living Mirage. So for now, Kendra sat tight and waited, exchanging a few words of comfort with Gratiana.

After a few hours – Kendra couldn't be exactly sure how long, since she had chosen not to wear her watch to the ceremony, saying that the band clashed with her dress – the SUV screeched to a stop. She looked eagerly to the window to see if she could identify any landmarks that would tell her where they were. The SUV had pulled up to an iron gate that was at least ten feet tall, but no matter how hard Kendra strained her eyes, she couldn't see anything beyond the fence. She frowned – she had never encountered a distracter spell that worked on her since becoming fairykind, and she had even managed to resist the spells at Wyrmroost, a well-protected dragon sanctuary.

One of the men in the front seat laughed. "You won't see anything out there," he called back to Kendra. He had a faint accent – Southern, she guessed. "Even if you _could_ see in the dark, there ain't much to see."

Smiling to herself, Kendra asked Gratiana, "Can _you_ see anything?"

The phoenix craned her neck, trying to get a better angle. "Beyond the fence, you mean?" she confirmed. "No, nothing. It's quite peculiar."

"Shaddup!" cried the other man. "I'm sick and tired of listening to you two gabbing in Latin or whatever."

"Well, hurry up and call the boss," the first man complained. "The sooner we get through this gate, the sooner we can ditch the prisoners, and the sooner we get paid."

"Right, of course." The second man flipped open a cell phone and dialed. A few moments later, Kendra could hear it ringing as they waited for "the boss" to pick up.

One the third ring, someone answered. "Yes?" a voice asked faintly from the other end. Kendra couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman speaking.

"We're at the gate," answered the man with the cell phone.

A long silence followed his words. Kendra wondered if the call had been disconnected somehow.

She heard the roar of an engine from somewhere behind them and the interior of the car gradually became illuminated by the lights of a sleek and shiny sports car that pulled up next to them.

"Yeah, she's here," the man said into the phone.

"Dang, she's fast," muttered the first one. "I thought for sure we ditched her in the last hundred miles. And how did she fit all four of 'em in there?"

"The pigeons fly over the moon," the man on the phone said. Kendra guessed this was a code word of some short. With a quiet beep, the call ended.

Kendra exchanged a glance with Gratiana; no words were needed. _What the heck?_ her expression said. Gratiana shrugged, a gesture Kendra hadn't known birds could make.

The gates slowly swung inward, creaking as metal grated on metal. The SUV pulled forward inch by inch, the sports car following it at the same pace, until finally there was an opening wide enough. The SUV shot forward.

Peering out the window, Kendra blinked in amazement. She could see everything clear as day in front of them, as she usually could, but behind the cars there was only the unyielding wall of blackness. Shivering, Kendra turned her gaze back to the front. They drove along a winding, bumpy path through a forest. She thought she saw a dryad flitting among the trees for a second, but it was gone when she took a second look. Between the roots of a tick oak tree – was that a family of brownies? And there, sitting on an immaculately trimmed hedge – a sleeping fairy! With a jolt, she realized that they were probably in a preserve. No wonder it had been so heavily protected! But why the wall of darkness?

The SUV halted again, this time in front of a massive mansion. Despite the weathering shown plainly on its façade, it was styled in a modern fashion, quite unlike the old manor at Fablehaven. Everything was made from the same smooth, pale brown stone. Ivy crawled up a good part of the building; with a homesick smile, Kendra thought that Seth would love it. The leaves and vines snaked up to a number of windows and looked sturdy enough; a convenient way to get from room to room if you were sneaking around.

The man riding shotgun opened his door and hopped out, then came around to Kendra's door. "Get out," he said gruffly. "I'll carry the bird." Gratiana ruffled her feathers indignantly as he picked up her cage.

Since her feet were still bound, Kendra hopped awkwardly out of the car. She thought she would made a pretty decent landing, but tripped on a medium-sized stone and, without her arms untied to catch herself, fell flat on her face. She cried out as a stone grazed her check.

"Get up, get up," the Southern man growled. As Kendra struggled to her feet – no small feat with her arms behind her back and legs together – he started up the path to the mansion. The other man grabbed Kendra by the arm and together they stumbled after him.

Looking back, Kendra could see a stunningly beautiful woman getting out of the sports car and was instantly reminded of Vanessa. The woman opened another door and helped a short man get out. His hands were bound but he could walk freely. Eyes wide, Kendra realized it was Jim, one of the other Eternals!

"Jim!" Kendra cried out.

The man, still keeping a tight grip on her arm, reached up and slapped her across the face. "None of that!" he said angrily.

Jim looked around, startled. "Who said that?" Catching sight of Kendra, he exclaimed, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

_What's wrong with him?_ Kendra wondered. _Did they brainwash him?_ "I'm Kendra! One of the Eternals!" She planted her feet firmly and refused to be dragged any farther.

Her captor glared at her. "Hush up now!" he barked.

Jim shook his head vigorously. "No, no – there are only five Eternals. You must by lying."

Antoinette emerged from the sports car next, her hands also tied behind her back. Seeing Kendra standing on the path ahead of her, she said, "Ha! Ze child has been captured, too!"

"She claims to be an Eternal!" Jim muttered indignantly. "_Please_ tell me she's crazy – or deluded – or _something._"

Antoinette laughed again. "Ha! She eez more of an Eternal zan zat _eempostor_ you defended during the ride."

Much to Kendra's surprise, _the Sphinx_ exited the car after Antoinette. "I'm getting tired of repeating myself," he said, frustrated. "Warren, Kendra, Eric, Antoinette, and I are the Eternals." He turned to Jim. "I'm not sure how you got caught up in this with the rest of us. I am truly sorry."

The beautiful woman emerged from the car again, juggling four cages made of the same metal as the one that trapped Gratiana. Inside each cage was an animal – each of the other Eternals' shape-shifters, Kendra realized. Eric followed her out, looking somewhat dazed.

"I'm with you for the most part," he said to the Sphinx. "I'm not entirely sure, though, why we drove for hours with a false Eternal. Warren is so lucky he escaped."

A tiny ember of hope flared inside Kendra – Warren had made it out! But it was quickly drowned by a tide of worry and confusion. Thinking back to the events that happened at midnight, Kendra counted. And recounted. There weren't five Eternals – there were six! Kendra, Warren, the Sphinx, Antoinette, Jim, and Eric. But each of them seemed to be unaware of one of the others… except for Kendra. She knew that they had _all_ participated in the ceremony.

What on Earth was going on?

* * *

Seth reentered his bedroom in time to hear Grandpa banging on the door. "Seth?" Grandpa called. "Seth, where are you?"

After closing the window gently, he crossed the room in a bound and threw open the door. "Right here," he said.

Grandpa frowned. "Why didn't you answer the first three times I called?"

Seth shrugged. "I didn't hear you. Sorry," he apologized. He tried not to feel guilty – it _was_ the truth. There was no way he could have heard Grandpa from up on the roof.

"Hmph." He could tell Grandpa knew there was more he wasn't saying, but he kept his mouth shut. Bracken would probably ring the doorbell in a sec and no one would ever know about Seth's midnight adventure.

"Why were you looking for me at one in the morning anyways?" Seth asked.

Grandpa let out a long, slow sigh. "Warren came back a few minutes ago, looking fairly beat-up. He said something happened, but wanted you to hear the full story, too."

Seth paled. "Yeah – wait." He paused. "I'm going to go down to the garden and get Bracken. He'll want to hear this." He brushed past Grandpa and started down the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"What–" Grandpa began.

"Don't ask!" Seth yelled up the stairs.

He found Grandma waiting at the bottom of the staircase. "Don't ask what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Seth gulped. _Busted. _He thought for a moment, selecting his words cautiously. "I saw Bracken out in the garden. He got here early," he said. There – not a lie. "I was going to get him. He'll want to hear what Warren has to say."

"Go ahead." Grandma stepped to the side. Seth hurried past her and opened the door to the back yard.

He gazed out at the flourishing flowerbeds and the neatly trimmed lawn, but saw nothing. "Bracken," he called softly. "You still out here?"

Moonlight flickered and Bracken appeared a dozen or so feet away, near the side of the house. "Yes," he said, walking swiftly towards Seth. "I was about to go around to the front and knock."

"I told them you were here. You should come in. You need to hear this."

Small creases appeared in Bracken's forehead. "Is something wrong?"

"Come in," Seth repeated, waving him forward. Bracken obliged. Seth shut the door behind them. "I don't have all the details," he continued. "Warren just got back, from what I've heard."

Bracken nodded. "I saw him go in. He was limping. I think there must have been some trouble. Do you think something went wrong with the ceremony?"

Seth shrugged. "I know about as much as you do. Let's go see what happened to Warren."

They found everyone sitting at the kitchen table – Grandma, Grandpa, Tanu, Vanessa, Scott, Marla, and Warren. Warren didn't look too bad – Seth had certainly seen him worse off at Wyrmroost. There were a couple of cuts on his face and his left leg was propped up on the chair next to him. A bruise was beginning to appear on one cheek.

"Warren!" Seth exclaimed when he saw him. "What happened?"

Warren smiled faintly. "You should've seen the other guy."

"What happened?" Bracken repeated. "Was the ceremony completed?"

He grimaced. "Yes, but that's not exactly a good thing."

"What happened?" Grandpa asked, echoing Bracken and Seth.

Warren took a deep breath and began to speak. "Everything went fine – we're all Eternals, all five of us. I was the first to leave the shrine. Leo and I swam to the mainland. Don't freak," he added, giving Grandma a sharp look. "The naiads were sound asleep. Didn't even rock the boat on the way over."

Grandma rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to freak out," she said. "I was going to ask you who Leo is."

"Each of the Eternals has a shape-shifter companion," Warren explained. "Leo is my friend."

"Where is he now?" Tanu wondered.

"I'm getting to that. Let me finish," Warren said. "Leo and I swam back and we were about halfway to the yard when we heard a scream. Don't ask me how, but I _knew_ it was Antoinette, one of the other Eternals. We ran to help her. She was being attacked by a bunch of people, but they all looked like the same woman – it must have been a witch who could duplicate herself or something. So I went to help – how, I'm not sure, since I didn't have any weapons – but one of the women threw this dust in Antoinette's face, and she fainted."

"What became of her shape-shifter?" Vanessa prompted when Warren paused.

"They nabbed him – or her – in an enchanted sack, I think. Anyway, two of the duplicates started fighting me while another carried Antoinette off. I was nearly finished – they had me pinned – but then they vanished. I think the witch must have turned herself back into one person. After they disappeared, I searched the woods near the shrine thoroughly, and couldn't find a trace of any of the others. I did find this, though." Warren pulled a small scrap of fabric from his pocket and offered it to Seth, who took it wordlessly. Examining it, he realized it was a piece of the white, lacy dress Kendra had worn for the ceremony. He choked back a sob. Grandma embraced him, her own eyes glistening with tears.

Bracken kept his eyes downcast. In the few years Seth had known him, he hadn't seen Bracken display much emotion. He was a brave, steadfast leader during the battle at Shoreless Isle and a tireless, dedicated son in helping the Fairy Queen rebuild her realm. He had even witnessed a few moments of passion between Bracken and his sister, but that was only twice. He usually kept his feelings hidden behind a flawless mask of serenity.

Seth wondered if unicorns ever cried.

"Where's Leo now?" asked Grandpa.

"As soon as we guessed what happened, Leo turned into a falcon and flew above the forest. We got super lucky – he spotted an SUV and an expensive-looking sports car driving away. He confirmed that the other Eternals were inside. He's following them by air now," Warren explained.

Bracken looked up. Seth thought he saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Isn't that risky?" Bracken asked.

"We decided it was worth a shot," said Warren. "We can communicate through a mental link. He says they're somewhere in New York state right now, heading north."

"I see." Bracken bent over Warren, muttering something under his breath. The swilling in Warren's leg went down abruptly, the cuts closed, and the bruise vanished.

"Wow, that feels great. Thanks!" Warren said enthusiastically.

"No problem," Bracken murmured. "We'll need you in good shape."

Eight pairs of eyes looked at him questioningly.

"As soon as Leo knows where they are, I propose we send out a rescue party," he suggested, "before they kill Kendra or the others. Or worse."

"What's worse than death?" Seth asked.

No one responded.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:**

I have decided to use this little space at the end of the chapter to express my feelings about the chapter in general.

I was really excited to start writing about Bracken, but it also made me nervous. His character was hard to describe. He was usually calm and composed, and a natural leader (I think I might have conveyed that in a paragraph above). To be quite honest - not the sort of character I'm used to writing about.

I noticed I had a tendency to use a lot of –s to offset something from the rest of the sentence.

So, as usual, I hope you liked it, and comments and critique are always welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Seth fidgeted in his seat. The hard-backed chair was quite sturdy but not at all practical for long-time use. He made a mental note to tell Grandma to invest in more comfortable kitchen chairs before the next time someone got themselves kidnapped and made the rest of them sit up for hours, worried and scared to death, waiting for an update.

He stifled a yawn. Between his midnight chat with Bracken on the roof and Warren's return, he hadn't gotten much sleep. Grandpa dozed lightly in the chair next to him and Grandma has actually returned to her bedroom, but Seth wanted to be awake when the report from Leo came. Warren had whispered a few nuggets of information – they crossed the Canadian border, took an hour-long rest stop at Niagara Falls – but as far as Leo was aware, they weren't stopping yet.

Warren and Bracken sat at the other end of the table, strategizing in hushed tones. According to Leo, two thugs were in the SUV with Kendra and Gratiana, Kendra's shape-shifter. Neither of them appeared to have any magical powers. The unconfirmed witch drove the sports car with the other Eternals in the back seat and the shape-shifters in the trunk. No, they hadn't picked up any backup. No, none of the Eternals were injured. Yes, he was sure they didn't suspect they were being followed.

So far, there didn't seem to be any plan beyond "call Mara and Trask," which they had already done, and "go to the airport in the morning." Assuming that their enemies had stopped driving by morning. Warren lamented that the Translocator was already hidden away.

"It was so easy that one time!" he cried quietly, remembering the attempted rescue at Living Mirage.

"You mean it was so easy for your enemies to steal the Translocator and lock you in the dungeon? Yes, very," Bracken agreed without humor.

Warren rolled his eyes. "You know, if we hadn't been captured, we wouldn't have met you, and we never would have closed Zzyzx the way we did." Seth swallowed uncomfortably, remembering how the others' capture had led to his escape and the death of their friend Coulter.

"I suppose I _should_ thank you for that," Bracken murmured. "Thank you."

Warren's manner became serious. "Any dept you possibly owed us was paid in full, repeatedly, from the moment we got out of that dungeon," he said earnestly. "If we manage to pull this off, _we_ will be indebted to _you._"

"Not necessarily," said Bracken. "The Knights of the Dawn are a resourceful group. You have pulled off great feats of your own accord for years."

"That's true." After a few moments, Warren added, "Still, it doesn't hurt to have a supernatural ally on your side."

They lapsed into silence. Seth closed his eyes and thought about the looming mission. He wondered if his parents would try to stop him from going. Seth mentally rolled his eyes imagining their worried tones. They had only grudgingly allowed his quest for the Singing Sisters, since it was strictly necessary, but no other life-threatening adventures had come up in the past few years, so there wasn't really any way for him to tell how they would react. Maybe they would do something stupid, like try to go along themselves to "keep an eye on him." Seth cringed – that would be awful, not to mention potentially embarrassing.

He turned his thoughts to their newfound enemies. Just who were they? Knights of the Dawn turned traitor? The vengeful remnants of the Society of the Evening Star, determined to reopen Zzyzx and wreak havoc? Or some totally new foe, one never seen before? He suspected they were on the good guys' side at one point, to know when and where the ceremony took place. Maybe Vanessa had flipped once again, to take further revenge on the Sphinx. It seemed unlikely, but she'd been able to fool them once before.

Eyes shut, Seth didn't notice Warren stiffen, receiving important information from Leo. He only opened them when Bracken asked urgently, "What is it?"

Seth sat up excitedly. "Do you know where they are?" he cried. Too late, he remembered that everyone else was asleep and lowered his voice. "Sorry."

"No, that's okay," Warren assured him. "They'll want to hear this." He shook the others awake.

"I'll get Ruth," Grandpa said. He pushed his chair back and made to leave the room just as Grandma herself appeared in the doorway.

"I heard voices," she explained. She sank into a chair next to Grandpa.

"Where is she?" Scott asked Warren.

"I knew we should have stopped her," Marla said for the umpteenth time that night.

Seth rolled his eyes – literally, this time. Of course they were only concerned about Kendra. The other Eternals could drop off the face of the Earth for all they cared. Except for Warren, maybe. They didn't realize that rescuing Kendra and leaving the other Eternals behind, dead, would put her in even greater danger. Their enemies would want to kill her even more as the final Eternal.

"Do you think a rescue is possible?" inquired Bracken.

"How many Knights will we need?" Grandpa asked.

"What are we up against?" Tanu wanted to know. Seth could almost see the Samoan running through a list of potions in his head, making a mental note of which he would need.

Warren held up his hands for silence. "Leo says they're at one of the new secret preserves," he began. "It's heavily guarded by distracter spells."

Seth moaned in dismay. Kendra was usually their key to bypassing such spells. Bracken didn't seem to think that all hope was lost, though; he nodded slowly.

"Leo managed to slip in behind the sports car," Warren continued. "Once you're inside the gates, he says, there isn't much to stop you from waltzing right up to the mansion, which is where they're being kept. Other than the usual dangers at a preserve, of course."

"And inside the mansion?" prompted Grandma.

"It's really weird," said Warren. "The two men are there, and the witch, and an old woman Leo thinks is the caretaker. They have some servants, but no guards are anything. If you were going to kidnap four of the five most important people in the magical world, wouldn't you put them in a really secure place?"

"Maybe it's more secure than we think," Seth suggested. "Or maybe they assumed they'd get away clean, leaving us clueless."

"I don't know." Bracken looked uneasy. "The former is probably, but the latter relies too heavily on chance. Surely they wouldn't be so foolish."

"The dumber the bad guys are, the better it is for us," Seth declared. His remark brought on a number of smiles, but the adults still seemed hesitant. Except, of course, for Warren.

"Here's my suggestion," Warren announced. "Fly to Canada tomorrow and scope out the preserve. See if we can get in. If we can, proceed with caution. If we can't, see plan B."

"What's plan B?" asked Seth.

"I haven't gotten that far yet," admitted Warren.

"If it's another secret preserve, they'll surely have a register like we do, to keep out uninvited visitors," said Grandma.

"Like us," Tanu added gravely.

"_If_ the hypothetical register becomes an issue," said Warren, trying to remain optimistic, "Leo can sneak into the house, search for it, and bring it to one of the Eternals to write our names in it."

Vanessa still seemed skeptical of his plan. "How could he snatch it unnoticed? And how would he be able to convey his desires to the Eternals?"

"He can shape-shift into other animals," Warren reminded her. "He can speak English – a large number of languages, actually."

"I think we should go with it," Tanu asserted.

"Even if we fail to enter the preserve, the mission will serve as reconnaissance," said Grandpa, agreeing.

"I believe Warren has devised our best strategy," Bracken said.

Vanessa warned, "If we're caught, we won't have another chance."

"I believe it's worth the risk," said Grandma.

Seth realized was looking at him, waiting for his input. "Definitely," he said. "I'm sick and tired of people kidnapping my sister." His parents murmured their assent. Then, observing that he was being hypocritical, he added, "And I'm all for keeping Zzyzx shut."

"Is it settled?" asked Warren, waiting for confirmation. Everyone sitting around the table nodded. Only later would Seth notice that there was no discussion of who would go on the mission. Warren and Tanu, obviously, would be joined by Trask and Mara. Grandma and Grandpa would come, too. And there was no question at all that Seth would be going. His parents, though they now knew about the world of magical creatures, simply didn't belong on a journey like this. They would hold down the fort, so to speak, at Fablehaven with Dale. Seth almost wanted to grin. This was almost like old times.

But in old times, Seth usually had his sister by his side.

"This'll be your room," said one of Kendra's captors. The other had gone to help the woman with the other Eternals. He and Kendra stood in the doorway to a small but lavish bedroom. Everything about it shrieked luxury, from the thick carpet to the elaborate designs on the bedspread and curtains to the dark doorframe and window shutters – a window!

Stepping inside, Kendra walked briskly to the window and threw open the shutters. No bars, visible or invisible, like at Torina's house. She glanced down to check for ivy, a sure way out. Her eyes widened. There was nothing outside the window, just a vast, black emptiness.

The man, entering the room behind her, chuckled. "It ain't a real window," he explained. "Lets in light and makes sure the prisoners can't get out."

_Rats_, Kendra thought. _I guess they wouldn't be_ that_ stupid, though._

"You can get a few hours sleep if you want," the man continued. "The boss wants to see you first thing in the mornin', though."

Good. She would finally see who was behind all this.

"There's some nightclothes in the wardrobe, if you want," he added.

Kendra nodded silently, still not turning to face him, still staring out the empty window.

Finally, the man left, closing the door behind him. She heard the faint click of a lock, then silence. She was alone with Gratiana. Unable to keep herself fueled by hate and anger any longer, she collapsed onto the bed and wept.

A short while later, a small, feathered head brushed up against Kendra's elbow. Looking up, Kendra saw a very blurry gold-and-red phoenix nuzzling her. Kendra dried her eyes and pulled herself into a sitting position and Gratiana into her lap. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered. "I couldn't bear this by myself." Gratiana didn't reply, just snuggled closer.

After a few peaceful minutes, Kendra asked, "How did you get out?"

"This beak is quite handy for picking locks," Gratiana explained.

"Are you going to transform back into a fairy?" wondered Kendra.

Gratiana shook her head. "I'd prefer not to give them reason to suspect that I can get out. Besides," she added, "fairies aren't very good at comforting." Unfolding her wings, she wrapped Kendra in a feathery embrace. Kendra gradually eased into unconsciousness and slept dreamlessly with her dear friend near.

It seemed that she had only just closed her eyes when she was jolted to awareness by someone banging on the door. She rolled over sleepily and caught sight of the beautifully embroidered blankets through half-lidded eyes. Her eyes flew open as she realized she wasn't in her bed in Fablehaven. She calmed down slightly as she reviewed the events of the previous night: she had become an Eternal, been kidnapped, at in the backseat of a car for hours, and finally arrived at this mysterious preserve.

Her gaze flickered to the window. Sunlight streamed in and illuminated her bedroom. From the intensity of the light, Kendra guessed that it was almost noon. Then she remembered it wasn't a real window. It could be the middle of the night, raining, or even snowing. She checked her watch for the time – half past ten. She had actually gotten a few solid hours of sleep.

Sitting in bed contently, or as contently as one being held against her will could be, Kendra examined the watch. It was a beautiful piece – a sparkling miniature diamond clock face attached to a golden chain. It had been a gift from Bracken on her seventeenth birthday. She sighed, cherishing the memory for a few brief moments before remembering something else – Bracken! Kendra sat bolt upright. He would be arriving at Fablehaven today, only to find her missing (surely Warren would have made it back by now, so they knew something was wrong). She wished she had the coin he had enchanted for her – they could communicate over long distances with it. She usually kept it with her always, but no, the white dress didn't have any pockets, so she had left it on her nightstand at home.

The banging increased in intensity and frequency. "You awake?" called the same man who had escorted her to her room the previous night.

"No," Kendra replied shortly.

"Make yourself presentable. The boss wants to see you in a few. Leave the bird in the cage," he growled. Gratiana sniffed indignantly. Kendra heard his footsteps receding as he retreated down the hallway. Kendra ran her fingers through her tangled hair and made a few half-hearted attempts to smooth her dress, which she had forgotten to change out of the previous night.

She turned to Gratiana. "You should escape," she advised. "Pick the lock and turn into something really small, like a Nipsie or something, crawl under the door, and get out of here."

"That wouldn't do us any good," Gratiana protested. "No one cares about the companions. I exist only to protect you. If I somehow managed to escape, you would be in the same position as now, only you wouldn't have an ally."

"Oh." Kendra's spirits sank. Then she thought of something else. "Could you get out and fly for help?" Maybe if Grandma and Grandpa and the others knew where she was, they could attempt a rescue. Of course, it would have to be better planned out so no one else ended up captured.

But Gratiana shook her head. "I'm new to this world. I have no idea where we are or even where Fablehaven is. A few things are innate, but I don't have any inborn sense of direction."

Outside, someone banged on the door again. It was the same man as before. "Stop talking," he ordered. "You'd better not be getting any funny ideas. The boss will see you now."

Despite the dire circumstances, Kendra felt excited. Maybe an opportunity to escape would present itself. At the very least, she could gain some information about who or what they were up against. The lock clicked and the door swung open. The man stood in the hallway, arms folded across his chest. Kendra immediately noticed the sword in his belt.

He saw her looking. "Don't do anything stupid," he warned. "Even if I can't kill you wi' this, you wouldn't make it to the stairs." Kendra gulped and looked away.

He led her down the hallway past several ornate wooden doors, identical to the one to Kendra's room. She guessed that they led to the other Eternals' bedrooms. They stopped at a door even more intricately carved that the others. Upon further examination, she noticed that they were depictions of magical creatures. A sphinx sat proudly and watched an astrid battle a dragon. Kendra shivered. It was so realistic – she could almost imagine the warriors flying out of the door to continue their battle in the real world.

The man knocked on the door. "Enter," croaked an old voice, withered with age.

He pushed open the door and it swung wide, revealing a dimly lit study. A cloaked and hooded figure sat in a chair at an old-fashioned desk. Everything wooden was decorated like the door.

"You may leave us," the figure instructed. They were a female, Kendra decided. Her voice sounded familiar, but faintly, as though Kendra had met her but only once before. The man turned and left, shutting the door behind him and leaving Kendra and the masked stranger alone together.

The woman threw back her hood. Kendra gasped.

"You!" she exclaimed. Memories whirled through her brain, of Wesley and Marion Fairbanks's exquisite home, of becoming a Knight, of meeting her Lieutenant – of meeting this very woman! "Estelle!"

Estelle raised her eyebrows approvingly. "You remembered. Good for you, child." Kendra bristled at the disparaging comment, but didn't say anything.

"Please, sit," Estelle invited with a sweet smile and a tone of voice to match.

Kendra shook her head, preferring to stand near the door. "No, thank you."

The smile vanished. "Sit, child. Let's not make this unpleasant."

Kendra sat in the chair across from the desk. She felt like a misbehaving student in the principal's office.

"Kendra Sorenson," Estelle mused. "I never thought I'd see you again. I thought you would have gotten yourself killed on Shoreless Isle."

_Well, I didn't, and now look where I am,_ thought Kendra. To Estelle, she said, "As your fellow Knight of the Dawn, I would have thought I'd see you fighting by my side, not stabbing me in the back."

Estelle laughed. It was more of a cackle, Kendra thought. "But backstabbing is what the Knights do best!" she exclaimed. "Don't you remember Vanessa Santoro? Oh, and _Gavin_… such an adorable stutter! Of course, you'll remember _him_ very well.

Kendra realized that of the Knights inducted the day she was, she was the only one not a traitor.

"Shut up," she muttered.

"Now, now, dear, you're not in a place to be giving orders," Estelle chided. "But we can change the subject if we truly wish to. What do you think of Hidden Glade?"

"What?"

"The preserve we're on, dear," explained Estelle.

"Oh." Kendra thought for a moment. She decided not to say anything that might give away that she could see in the dark and thus hint toward her being fairykind. "I haven't seen much of it," she said.

"Just your general opinion," Estelle replied.

As long as she was a prisoner, and since she had the opportunity to talk to her captor, she might as well ask the question weighing heavily on her mind. "What's up with the wall of darkness?"

"Not a wall, my dear, just an enchanted curtain." When Kendra still looked confused, Estelle elaborated. "It reflects the environment around it. Since it was dark when you came in last night, it would have shown only blackness."

"So it's not a distracter spell?" Kendra wondered if she was pushing her luck. If Estelle was shrewd, she might guess her secret.

"No, and that's the lovely thing about it!" Estelle exclaimed. "You can keep those pesky fairykind and their friends out. Even if they can see the gate, they don't know what's beyond!"

"Fairykind?" asked Kendra, feigning innocence, but she felt like she was grasping at straws.

"Don't play stupid, dear; you're not fooling anyone. Your 'secret' is fairly common knowledge within our circle," said Estelle. "Any other questions?"

Kendra slumped in her chair. "Why don't you just kill me now?" she asked, giving up hope.

To her surprise, Estelle laughed a little. "I'd love to, truly, but the sixth artifact makes that impossible."

"Sixth artifact?" This time Kendra didn't have to fake ignorance.

"Come, now – surely you noticed that there are now six Eternals instead of the previous five. You must have seen through the spell Agad put on the others," Estelle guessed. Kendra nodded, remembering how each of the Eternals had disregarded one of the others, except for Kendra, who had accepted all of them for what they were. "And so, of course, there has to be a sixth artifact. One final precaution placed on Zzyzx is that the Eternals can only be killed by a fatal wound from the Sword of Justice."

"How do you know all this?" asked Kendra, suspicious. Estelle could be making up the whole thing for all Kendra knew.

The old woman waved a hand airily, dismissing her question. "I have friends in high places, that's all you need to know. Ed!" she called, raising her voice slightly.

The man opened the door but didn't step inside. "Yes, Boss?"

Looking at Kendra, Estelle said, "I dislike employing thugs like him and that other man, Brutus, but they do have their uses. And the witch, Serena, she's handy in a pinch." She spoke of them as if they were tools, objects. "You may leave now."

Kendra allowed Ed to escort her back to her room, feeling, if possible, even worse than before. She could only cross her fingers and hope that somehow help would arrive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

Before you read this chapter, I would just like to say that I screwed up in one place (well, maybe other places, but this mistake is fairly obvious). I'm pretty sure Seth was supposed to give Vasilis to the Singing Sisters as well as do the quest for them, but by the time I realized I had already written Vasilis into the story and I was too lazy to change it. Aside from this tiny detail, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"You may now exit the plane in an orderly fashion," instructed the voice over the intercom. As the message was repeated in French, the plane filled with noise as passengers grunted and groaned while they rescued their carry-on bags from storage.

Seth yawned, stretched, and stood up. The trip from Hartford to Montreal, although only two hours, had made for an excellent opportunity to catch up on sleep. Combined with his interrupted nap before leaving Fablehaven, it was a poor substitute for a full night's rest. According to Leo, they would still have to drive for about an hour before reaching the gate to the preserve, though, so maybe he would have another chance for shut-eye.

Trask leaned across the aisle and said to Seth, "Give Tanu a poke in the ribs. It's time to go."

Looking to his right, Seth realized that the Samoan was still snoozing. He lightly jabbed him with his elbow. "C'mon," he hissed. "Time to go. Rescue mission. Remember?"

Tanu jerked awake. "Sorry," he said. "Those sleep potions are pretty strong." He passed his potion pouch to Grandma, who carried a small purse over one arm. Though the pouch was slightly bigger than the purse, Grandma managed to stuff it inside. It was an extradimensional storage device like the knapsack they had lost at Wyrmroost, but not quite as large. You couldn't fit a person in it, except for maybe a small child, but it was a good way to slip weapons past airport security. Also stored in there were Vasilis, Seth's sword; a blade that used to belong to the Gray Assassin, Trask's weapon of choice; Grandma's crossbow; Seth's emergency kit, which had been upgraded from a cereal box to a backpack; and a few other magical items Grandpa thought they might need. Bracken had opted to keep his horn in its usual place at his side. It actually looked like a cheap, plastic unicorn horn to mortals who hadn't consumed any milk, an extravagant souvenir rather than a deadly weapon.

Seth tapped his foot impatiently as they waited for the passengers in front of them to disembark. He tapped his foot through the wait at customs. In the parking lot, waiting for a taxi to take them to the Rent-a-Car. It became a steady pounding on the linoleum when the woman at the desk said they would have to "sit tight" for another half hour since they would need two cars to hold them all. He drummed his fingers on the arm rest in the rental car he shared with Warren, Vanessa, and Trask. His body percussion was punctuated with loud sighs as Vanessa's breakneck pace was interrupted by stoplights and traffic congestion. Seth thought he might actually scream in frustration when, just when he thought they were almost there, Vanessa pulled over to the side of the road and screeched to a halt.

'What's wrong?" he demanded.

"We're going the wrong way," moaned Vanessa.

Warren nodded in agreement. "Leo must have given us the wrong directions."

Some hundred feet in front of them, the minivan that held the other five turned around, just noticing they had stopped. The van pulled alongside their sedan and rolled down a window. Warren followed suit. Seth was surprised to see Bracken in the front seat; he could have sworn Grandma was driving.

"We're nearing the preserve," Bracken explained. "The distracter spells are probably repelling you."

"We had to switch drivers," Grandma added from the passenger seat. "Bracken is immune, like Kendra."

"Stay close behind us," Bracken instructed. "Resist the temptation to turn around."

"We can do that," said Warren confidently. "It can't be half as bad as Wyrmroost."

The minivan pulled in front of them, crawling forward at about ten miles per hour. Vanessa followed it closely, the fenders of the two cars almost touching. Despite their intense concentration, it wasn't long before the spells got to them again.

"Bracken must be wrong," said Trask. "We're not going anywhere."

"He's leading us into a trap!" Seth realized. "Vanessa, honk at them."

Vanessa pressed the horn, still following the van. Still, it did not deviate from its path. She held down, one long, obnoxious note. No response whatsoever. She let it go. "Everything's going to know we're coming now," she mumbled.

After a few more minutes, the minivan swerved violently to the side, nearly hitting the lights of their car. Bracken exited the van; Grandpa, Grandma, Tanu, and Mara followed suit, looking slightly chagrined. Bracken beckoned Vanessa forward.

"He's nuts," muttered Warren. Seth had to agree with him – they had been driving the wrong way and now that they had stopped there wasn't even anything there. But Vanessa coaxed the sedan forward a few more feet and they all heaved a sigh of relief as the distracter spells released them. Seth could now see a tall, iron fence with a gate, but nothing beyond it. They exited the car and went to stand with the others.

"I'm so sorry," Grandma was saying to Bracken. "I was so sure you were leading us the wrong way. I had to stop you."

Bracken brushed away her apologies. "No harm done," he said. He turned to address the others. "We stand at the main entrance to the preserve. Since the Eternals arrived, Leo has scoped out the preserve." He nodded at Warren, who cleared his throat.

"Once we informed him of our plan, Leo searched the mansion for a register but found no sign of one. However, he suspects there isn't a register, since he discovered something more valuable that should have been more carefully hidden." Warren paused, clearly enjoying the suspense.

"And what would that be, Warren?" asked Vanessa, rolling her eyes.

"They key to the vault hidden on the preserve," he announced proudly. "It's a small, twisted metal rod about four feet long. An old woman, the caretaker, uses it was a cane."

"That doesn't necessarily mean there's no register. The old woman could be trying to hide the key in plain sight," Tanu pointed out.

Warren deflated. "That's true."

"Is there any hint toward which artifact is on the preserve?" asked Trask.

Before Warren could answer, Grandpa cut in. "Even if there is, our mission is not to recover the artifact but to rescue the Eternals."

"Right." Warren clapped his hands together. "First thing's first – let's see if we can get this gate open."

Tanu held up a potion bottle. "I have enough of these to shrink all of us. We could probably fit between the bars."

"Surely they're spelled against that sort of thing," said Mara, shaking her head.

Bracken approached the fence, palms out, searching for traces of magic. "It makes no sense," he muttered. "It doesn't appear to be anything more than just a gate."

"Well, perhaps we could-" Trask began, but Seth cut him off.

"Did anyone actually try the direct approach?" he asked, walking up to the gate. He seized one of the metal handles and heaved. With a massive groan of the hinges, the gate swung open. Seth gasped. On the other side of the bars, a forest that had been invisible before stretched onward seemingly forever. A few butterflies fluttering around the foliage reminded Seth that he had not yet consumed milk that day.

"I don't like this," Grandma stated immediately. "We must be walking into a trap. It can't be that simple."

Even Warren seemed disconcerted. "I know Leo said there was virtually no security, but this seems peculiarly lax."

Bracken, meanwhile, examined the gate from the inside. For once, he seemed baffled by the situation. "I don't understand" he murmured. "It can't be a distracter spell." Fingering the fence, he paused in shock. "Fabric?" Drawing his horn, he sliced at the bars.

_What the heck is he doing?_ Seth wondered. He didn't have to wait long for an answer, though; Bracken rejoined the group holding something Seth couldn't identify in his hand.

"Come look at this," Bracken said, extending his right hand. His fingers were clenched as if he held something, but, try as he might, Seth couldn't see anything.

"What, pray tell, am I supposed to be seeing?" asked Vanessa after a few moments of silence.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Bracken. "You _can't_ see anything. But feel it."

The others exchanged _I-think-he's-crazy_ looks but each hesitantly touched the something in Bracken's hand. "It's like cloth," Grandpa said.

"It's not a true spell of invisibility, but a powerful illusion spell. If anyone _could_ get close enough to see the gate, they wouldn't know anything was here," Bracken explained.

"They rely heavily on their magical protections," Mara noted.

Seth shrugged. "Their loss."

Everyone looked to Warren. "What's our next move?" asked Tanu.

Warren was saved from having to answer by Leo himself, who flew towards them at a rapid pace, still in falcon form. He landed gracefully on Warrens shoulder and busied himself with preening his feathers before remembering he had an audience.

"This is Leo," Warren introduced him.

"I gathered that," Vanessa said dryly.

The falcon surveyed their group. He remarked to Warren, "Interesting company you keep."

"I trust everyone present with my life," said Warren. Despite the situation, Seth couldn't help beaming with pride.

"No offense intended," Leo said. "Simply an observation."

Grandpa approached the two. He appeared reluctant to address the bird, and Seth privately agreed with him that talking to an animal was rather strange. He said to the group at large, "Is the route to the house safe?"

Leo bobbed his head. "You have to keep watch for creatures who like to roam the preserve, but because of your numbers, you can probably best most foes you come across."

"_Are_ we going to come across any foes?" asked Grandma, suspicious.

Leo shook his head. "No, of course not, I said there weren't."

Grandma turned to the others. "How do we know we can trust him?" she demanded.

"Ruth, you have my word-" Warren started to say.

Grandma took a step back. "But how do we know we can trust _you?_ You could be an impostor!"

Everyone's eyes went to Bracken, who took Warren's hand. After a few tense moments, he declared, "He's not a stingbulb, nor is he under the control of a narcoblix." Seth sighed in relief, thinking the crisis was averted, but Grandma had other thoughts.

"But _you_ could have been working with the enemy all along," she said, her voice oddly calm. "And we have no way to know if that little magic trick of yours actually works."

"Ruth, if we can't trust the people here, we can't trust anyone," said Grandpa.

"That's my point!" Grandma exclaimed. "Maybe we _can't _trust anyone."

Seth looked at Grandma like she'd lost her mind. They were in foreign, hostile territory – did she really need to have a breakdown just then? "If one of us is a traitor," he said, "then we're all screwed. But until that happens, we might as well treat everyone here as our closest ally, because paranoia would be the death of us all."

Warren applauded quietly. "Well said, Seth," he praised.

"Yes, yes, well said," Trask muttered hurriedly. "But we've wasted too much time in this debate. We must now proceed slowly and with caution." Grandma nodded stiffly, though Seth guessed she wasn't entirely pleased with the outcome.

"Can you lead us to the main house?" Warren asked Leo.

The falcon nodded and said, "All we have to do is follow this road."

"Wait," Bracken said as everyone made to get going. "We need an overall plan. What do we do when we reach the house?"

Leo thought for a moment before answering. "There's only one entrance on the ground floor," he said at last. "The windows are no good – they're fake. But once you get inside, the hallway splits. There are a total of three difference staircases to get to the second floor, where the Eternals' rooms are. Our greatest challenge will be getting into the bedrooms, I think. There's an elaborate series of locks on the doors."

"You seem to know your way around," observed Trask.

"A mouse makes for a good scout," Leo explained.

"You said there was only one entrance on the ground floor," remembered Tanu. "Is there another way in on an upper story?"

"Ah, yes. There's a balcony on the north side of the house that leads to the master bedroom," said Leo. "You may not want to risk it, though. The caretaker spends a lot of time up there and she can't be just a helpless old lady like she looks."

"And as far as guards go?" inquired Grandpa.

"The two men – Ed and Brutus, I think – are permanently stationed at either end of the hallway the Eternal's rooms are on. I don't know where the witch is, but I wouldn't count her out," Leo added.

"Based on the information we have, here's my suggested game plan," announced Trask. "Bracken and I will take the balcony. The rest will go through the main door and split up once inside – Seth, Stan, and Vanessa to the right, Mara, Tanu, and Ruth to the left. Take out the guards and free the Eternals. Any questions?"

Warren raised his hand like a student. Without waiting to be called on, he said, "My name didn't make any of those lists."

"I think it would make sense for you to stay back," explained Trask. "There is a slight possibility of all five Eternals perishing tonight, and we must minimize that risk."

"I would prefer not to be left out of the action." Warren's tone was polite, but his words threatened a looming argument.

Seth stepped in to avoid a shouting match. "I have a suggestion: Warren can go with Grandpa and Mara, with Leo to guard him, and I can go with Bracken and Trask to keep the teams even."

"Your parents will skin me alive if you get yourself killed," Grandpa muttered.

"I believe it is a wise course of action," said Mara. "We all know Seth is quite good with a sword. It can't hurt to have him with most of the best fighters."

"_Most_," Warren repeated for emphasis.

"Is it decided?" asked Grandpa. Everyone nodded solemnly. Grandma reached into her purse and pulled out the items they would need: swords, crossbows, Seth's emergency kit, Tanu's potion pouch, and, perhaps most importantly, a small tub of walrus butter, of which they all had some. Now Seth could see the fairies floating about for what they truly were.

Leo left his perch on Warren's shoulder and flew to the front of the group. He led them along a winding path through the forest. Little trails split off from the main road at points, but even Seth knew better than to follow them. After about five minutes of walking at a brisk pace, they came across a pair of centaurs. They had quivers full of arrows on their backs and each held a bow at their side. One, a dark-haired mail, spoke.

"Halt! Who goes there?" he challenged.

Seth later reflected that this was an awkward situation. They had invaded the preserve uninvited, and the centaurs knew it. They were clearly armed for battle, so any question of peace was out. They were treading in hostile territory, and had been caught in the act even before reaching their destination. However, the centaurs were not the enemies they were sneaking up on. Perhaps they wouldn't care if the members of the group wreaked havoc on the preserve, so long as they didn't bother the centaurs.

"We are simply passing through," answered Trask calmly.

The second centaur, a female (Seth noticed she was the first female centaur he had seen) with light hair and fine features, said, "With swords and other weapons, I see."

"You can never be too careful," Warren responded. "Who knows what might be out here?"

The first centaur clearly didn't believe them. "Based on the events of the past two days, I believe I can guess your true purpose here," he said. "If you succeed in your quest, however, you may very well do us a great favor."

Seth almost couldn't believe his ears – or their luck. Were the centaurs going to let them by?

As if hearing and answering his thoughts, the female said, "We were here long before the humans came and erected their fancy fences and vaults to protect their shiny toys. We aim to remain here long after they have fallen."

"The centaurs have no love for humans," the male centaur continued. "so if you are able to take care of the problem here, and leave the preserve promptly, we will let you pass peacefully."

The humans exchanged shocked looks. "We graciously accept your generosity and solemnly swear not to abuse your trust," he said. Seth thought he was laying it on a bit thickly, but he figured it would be impossible to be overly formal when dealing with centaurs.

"See that you don't," said the female. The centaurs seemed to fade back into the forest from which they had emerged. Seth could hear their hoofbeats for a few moments more, but the sound, too, gradually faded away.

Mara broke the silence. "That was odd," she remarked.

"I agree," said Trask. "It's not like centaurs to let intruders pass without a fight."

"Either they truly hate the humans here, or they have an ulterior motive," guessed Warren.

"To have another incentive would be likely, but I can't imagine what other reason they could have to let us by," said Bracken.

"But if the humans leave, the centaurs can only gain," Tanu pointed out.

"That's true, but our mission isn't to drive the caretakers off the preserve," Grandpa reminded them. "We just want to rescue the Eternals and leave."

"Speaking of, we should get going," Leo said. "If the centaurs noticed us, other creatures may have, too. With nine of us, we're not inconspicuous. It isn't far, though." They set off again rapidly.

The group halted in front of the main house. Seth had guessed that it would be more of a mansion than an ordinary cottage, since it had at least five bedrooms, but he was still taken aback by its vast size. It put the manor at Fablehaven to shame. Based on what the centaurs had said, the preserve had been established recently, and the modern design of the mansion emphasized that fact, but it looked at least decades old. Seth noted the pillars supporting the upper floors – were they really marble? Whoever had built this sure had a lot of money to throw around.

Warren, standing at the front of the group, turned to address the others. "Remember the plan," he said. "Stan, Vanessa, and I to the right; Mara, Tanu, and Ruth to the left; Seth, Bracken, and Trask to the second story balcony. Free the Eternals. Get out alive. Flee."

His words were met with a chorus of nods, _got it_s and one _Aye aye, Cap'n_ from Seth. Without another word, the group dispersed. Trask, Seth, and Bracken headed around to the other side of the house while the rest made for the front door.

Seth took a deep breath. He had never been part of a raiding party like this. Were they just going to bust in, or would there be some sort of cue? Were they going to encounter any resistance inside?

Would they all make it out alive?

* * *

Kendra lay in her bed, trying to think of what had woken her. With nothing better to do, she had retired early, but this wasn't a _weird-sleep-pattern_ awakening. It was more of a _swords-clashing-outside-her-door _sort of awakening. But that was impossible. Unless Ed and Brutus were mock fighting with their swords or something like that. Yes, that was what was making the noise.

Probably.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Kendra sat up and threw off her covers. She looked over at Gratiana's cage. The phoenix cocked her head to one side as if listening for something. "Did you hear that?" Kendra asked quietly.

Gratiana nodded and said excitedly, but just as quietly, "It would seem that a few rogue swordsmen have broken into the preserve, according to Amelie, but Leo has informed us that a rescue is taking place!"

Kendra wanted to ask who Leo and Amelie were, but her head was spinning with the last few words of Gratiana's sentence. "Who?" she burst out.

"Amelie is Antoinette's shape-shifter companion, and Leo Warren's," Gratiana explained. "The six companions communicate through telepathy."

"That's good to know, but that's not what I meant," said Kendra. "Who is taking part in the rescue attempt?"

Gratiana began to answer but was cut off by a loud thud from the hallway. The noise was followed by the sound of more metal on metal and a soft curse. "Why are these locks so complicated?" someone hissed.

"Tanu!" Kendra exclaimed softly.

"I don't know anyone by name but Warren," said Gratiana. "You probably know the others, though."

"I should get dressed," Kendra realized, leaping from her bed and landing lightly on her feet. She opened the wardrobe, which – she had discovered when searching for "nightclothes" earlier that evening – contained clothes close to her size that were more practical for an adventure. She had one leg in a pair of cargo pants when she heard a familiar voice outside the wall.

"The witch!" cried Warren. "Look out!"  
The mansion was now alive with yells and screams, the sound of swords hitting each other, and shouted bits of conversation.

"Every lock is slightly different," called a woman – Mara? – from the other end of the hall.

"One down, four to go!" shouted Trask. "Run – uh – Eric?"

"Jim," gasped one of the Eternals.

"Right, Jim," Tanu correct himself. "Leave the house and take the road straight to the gate of the preserve." There was no response – Kendra guessed Jim had run off.

"Warren – duck!" Vanessa yelled. _Is there anyone I know who isn't here?_ Kendra wondered.

Kendra, now fully dressed, turned to Gratiana. "You should pick that lock," she advised. "We need to be ready when they get to our door." Without responding, the phoenix obliged. Once she was fee, she transformed into a fairy.

"It will be harder for them to hit me," Gratiana said.

Another lock clicked. "Three!" someone called out. Kendra's heart lurched as she realized it was Seth. What was he doing here? He was going to get himself killed! For a few long moments, no one said anything, and only the occasional grunt or clang of steal told Kendra that her friends were still fighting.

"When all of the Eternals are free," get to the sedan outside the gate and drive off," directed Trask. "You have the keys, right? Make sure you have everyone before you-" he broke off with a loud oath. A few seconds later another clang sounded throughout the mansion.

"You!" Warren exclaimed in shock. Kendra guessed that he had come face-to-face with Estelle.

Sure enough, an old voice responded, "Yes, me. Another Knight turned traitor. What a surprise." Warren didn't reply.

Kendra paced her bedroom, anxious to join the fight. She had no weapon, but surely there was some way she could protect her family and friends. She paused in her circuit regularly to pound on the door to bring attention to her room, but the muffled sound was drowned in the roar of the fight.

"Seth, bring Vasilis," ordered Grandma. "Try to cut the lock."

There was a brief lull in the conversation. Then Seth shouted out, "Four!"

"That's it, we can-" Grandpa's instructions were cut off by a yelp of pain. Kendra crossed her fingers, hoping against hope that everyone would make it out all right.

"Wait!" called a different voice, one Kendra hadn't heard yet that evening. It had been nearly six months since she had last heard it, in fact, but she would never forget it.

"Bracken," Kendra breathed. This wasn't quite how she'd imagined their reunion after she became an Eternal, but to see him again…

"Where's Kendra?" asked Bracken.

"I didn't see her go by," replied Mara.

"I swear we let out four Eternals," Seth said.

All the while, swords clashed in the background. From the strain in his voice, Kendra guessed that Bracken was actually fighting as he talked with the others. She banged on the door with renewed vigor, but no one noticed. "I'm here!" she called out desperately.

"No one's tried that door," Tanu said.

"If you hold them off for just a little bit longer-" began Seth.

"We've got it," Bracken replied. "Use Vasilis. Quickly!"

After a few moments, Kendra noticed a sword point protruding from the doorknob. The metal glowed and melted. The door swung open. Kendra quickly took in the scene in front of her. Seth crouched in front of the door, Vasilis in his right hand. Grandma, Grandpa, Vanessa, Mara, and Tanu stood behind him, battling Brutus and Ed, Grandpa bleeding slightly from a gash on his left arm. Bracken, Trask, and Warren fought viciously with about half a dozen of the safe woman – the witch, Serena, Kendra guessed. Her heart beat a little fast at the sight of Bracken in danger, but he was holding his own and she reminded herself that he could take care of himself.

"Kendra!" Seth exclaimed happily. He stood up and embraced her, but the reunion had to be kept short. Words could wait for later.

"We're not in the clear yet," Grandpa reminded them. "Trask, Warren, and Bracken can't hold them off indefinitely."

"We need to go," Tanu agreed.

"Which way toe the stairs?"

"This way!" called a new voice. For the first time, Kendra noticed the sparrow flying next to Gratiana, who was still in fairy form. She guessed he was one of the other Eternal's shape-shifters. She was right; as she watched, he shifted into a falcon and flew down the hall. They hurried after him.

At the stairs, they stopped suddenly, and Kendra almost ran into Mara. Peering ahead, she realized the grand staircase was blocked by a large cluster of women – all copies of Serena. Tanu swore quietly under his breath.

"Going somewhere?" the Serenas chorused.

The witches, each armed with a sword, Kendra noted, didn't seem to be in any hurry to attack, so they were able to converse quietly.

"The two thugs are coming," Tanu warned in a low voice.

"The others?" whispered Grandma.

Craning his neck to see farther down the hallway, Tanu replied, "Right behind. Trask's kind of lagging. Oh, no…" He ended in a groan.

"What?" asked Kendra. She looked behind them but couldn't see anything beyond the lumbering Brutus and Ed, some fifty feet down the hall.

Tanu shook his head. "It doesn't matter. They won't reach us in time."

"So we're cut off in the front and back?" confirmed Mara.

"Yes." Tanu nodded grimly.

"There's a trick to defeating Duplicators," Mara said quickly. "If you kill the original, the others will perish as well."

"But can we possibly take on ten of them?" worried Grandma. His brow glistened with sweat, and with the wound on his sword arm, he was in no condition to fight.

"The odds are fairly even. The weapons are an illusion – only the original Duplicator will have a real sword," Mara explained. "The others will have to rely on brute strength."

"Wait," Seth said. "We can't kill her. What if a treaty protects this preserve, like at Fablehaven?"

They looked at him blankly. Kendra was the first to understand. "We'd forfeit all protection," she said.

Tanu cursed again. It was beginning to look like all hope was lost until Kendra realized something.

"Couldn't we just go the other way?" she suggested, speaking softly so Serena wouldn't hear. "There are two staircases."

"We'd fare much better against two than ten," Grandma agreed.

"And we can catch up with the others," added Seth. Tanu nodded nervously. To Kendra, he still looked hesitant, but she was pretty sure he was worrying about something else. But what?  
"Let's go quickly, before they have a chance to guess what we're up to," Seth urged.

At no particular signal, the group turned around as one and sprinted back down the hall. Ed and Brutus looked at them open-mouthed for a split second before swinging their swords. Tanu met Ed's with his own and Brutus's blade collided with Seth. There wasn't really an opportunity for a proper fight, though, because they dashed past the two men and rapidly caught up with their comrades.

Kendra remembered Tanu saying that Trask had been lagging behind a little, and she had assumed that he had been wounded. However, she could now see that Trask was out of breath, but in good health. He was slowed instead by the prone figure in his arms.

Bracken.

Kendra let out a soft cry and reached out as if to help in some way, but she couldn't imagine how. Seeing her distress, Trask smiled reassuringly.

"He's not dead," he said hastily. Kendra thought her heart might stop as he said the word but she had to remember the context. He was alive. "The brute just knocked him unconscious."

Kendra could still see the gash across his chest: shallow, but seeping silver blood freely.

"Don't worry," said Warren encouragingly. "It looks bad, but unicorns heal quickly. He'll be fine."

But how could he know? Had he ever seen an injured unicorn heal itself before?

"You should have seen him, Kendra," Warren went on. "When we were fighting that witch, he was everywhere. He was amazing. Heroes like him don't end up dying from little flesh wounds."

There was that word again, but it didn't sting as much. Kendra had a feeling he was overstating things to make her feel better, but it worked, and she appreciated it.

Trask, Warren, and Kendra had fallen behind the others and their enemies were catching up. They hustled down the stairs, Trask appearing unaffected by his burden. They had just set foot on the neatly trimmed lawn when a voice, magically magnified, boomed out:

"You have not yet won."

"Estelle." Warren uttered the word as if it was a curse. "Dirty traitor." He spit in the grass.

"We should keep moving," Trask said. "We still have to get through the preserve and out the gate."

They were only about ten feet into the woods when a mysterious figure appeared in a burst of light. Kendra's eyes widened as the light cleared and she recognized the Fairy Queen. She bowed deeply. Even though a curtsy would be more proper, cargo pants were not made for curtsying. "Your majesty."

Warren, too, knelt before her. Trask, still cradling Bracken, dipped his head respectfully.

"Kendra Sorenson." Kendra felt suddenly shy at being addressed directly by the Fairy Queen. "You have flourished greatly since the last time I saw you. I wish we were not meeting in such dreadful circumstances."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Kendra murmured.

The Fairy Queen turned to Trask. "Thank you for protecting my son," she said. Kendra was almost alarmed by the passion in her voice, like she might have incinerated Trask if he hadn't protected Bracken. She truly loved him with a force Kendra could never match.

"It was an honor," Trask replied formally.

"I will take him back to my own realm to help him heal more efficiently," the Fairy Queen said. "You have done an amazing feat, keeping him safe from our enemies in his weakened state."

"I couldn't imagine doing anything else," responded Warren. Kendra guessed he was thinking of all the times Bracken had saved them – at Living Mirage, protecting the last Eternal, on Shoreless Isle, and countless others.

Trask laid Bracken gently on the ground. He did not stir, but Kendra could see the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. With nothing else left to say, the three turned to go. After they had gone a few paces, the Fairy Queen called out, "Kendra."

Kendra turned around, glancing back at the impressive figure.

"You may come with me, if you wish," the Fairy Queen offered generously. "I know Bracken wanted you to see his home."

Kendra knew she was being extended a tremendous offer. No humans had ever set foot in the Fairy Queen's world. Few even tread in her shrines. She couldn't possibly refuse. "Of course," she said, taking a step closer.

"Very well." The Fairy Queen took a deep breath and closed her eyes. For a split second, Kendra could feel magic in the air.

Then the world exploded in a flash of light.

* * *

**Author's Note (2):**

The other day in reading class we talked about points of view of a story: first person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. I wondered which point of view Fablehaven is considered, because they don't show you everybody's thoughts (just Kendra's and Seth's), but that's still more than one person's point of view. I actually decided last night that it's probably third person omniscient. I was reading a book that is definitely third person omniscient, with four main characters whose thoughts you read, and I decided that it was similar to Fablehaven, just with more points of view.

Anyways, thank you for reading my chapter as my little random paragraph at the bottom. As always, critique is appreciated and reviews are adored. I hope you liked it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The world took a moment to come into focus, and until it did, Kendra truly feared she had been blinded by the Fairy Queen's magic. But eventually the fireworks behind her eyes faded, and she could see again. Her jaw dropped open in amazement as she took in the scene around her.

Gone were the trees and the grass and the mansion of Evening Glad preserve. In their place were brilliantly shining marble walls. Veins of purple and blue, silver and gold spun through the marble, making it appear to be any color but the white that was underneath. Looking down, Kendra saw that the floor was made of the same spectacular stone, perfectly square tiles framed in gold. But the floor couldn't hold her attention for long; there were more fascinating sights to be seen. Sparkling pillars rose out of the floor periodically, stretching up to support a ceiling some hundred feet above them. The ceiling made the Sistine Chapel look like a child's finger painting. Far above their heads, fairies several times larger than life enchanted flowers, giant naiads swam in crystal pools, and dazzling horses of all colors and sizes – unicorns, Kendra realized – galloped across endless plains.

It took Kendra a few minutes to remember why she was there. When she did remember, she also realized they were not alone. A beautiful young woman - about twenty years of age, Kendra would guess – danced lightly across the room. Her toffee-colored hair cascaded from her head in waves, reaching just past her waist. She wore a simple silver gown that trailed behind her, making her look like she was flying.

As Kendra watched in awe, the girl twirled up to the Fairy Queen and curtsied deeply. "Mother," she murmured in a voice that didn't match her youthful features. Her voice said she had been many places and seen many things. It spoke of years upon years of wisdom.

The Fairy Queen embraced the girl. "Virtue," she greeted her warmly.

"How fares he?" asked Virtue, worried. _Worried_ didn't totally sum up her emotions, though. Her voice brimmed with nervousness and yes, some worry, but above all, love. She glanced at Bracken, who lay on the smooth floor as if sleeping. Silver blood still trickled from his wound.

All at once, the pieces clicked together. Virtue was one of Bracken's sisters! Kendra faintly remembered Bracken saying one time that the Fairy Queen had five children, five daughters and one son. She hadn't given them much thought before. Bracken hadn't discussed his family on either of his visits, and so they had faded to the back of her mind. But now she was meeting one of them!

"He is unconscious, but will recover swiftly in the hands of our greatest healers," the Fairy Queen replied.

Virtue knelt beside Bracken. She touched his cheek gently. As she observed her, Kendra realized it was more than a gesture of adoration. Virtue closed her eyes, giving Kendra the impression that she was absorbing information.

The young woman looked up at the Fairy Queen. "Mother," she said. Kendra wondered briefly what it would be like to call one of the most powerful women in the world _mother_. Her own mother worked in an office building all day and came home to make dinner. It wasn't much of a comparison. "Mother, this wound needs no special care. The villain's blade grazed only the surface. Even as he slumbers, Bracken works at repairing the damage from the inside. Intervention is not necessary." Her tone implied that she was chastising the Fairy Queen. Kendra marveled at her daring, but reflected that she might speak similarly to her own mother, though perhaps less formally.

"I could not leave him alone as he recuperated," the Fairy Queen said testily. Kendra guessed that she was not used to having her decisions criticized, no matter how lightly, even by her own children.

Without responding, Virtue passed her hand over the length of the wound, barely a centimeter from his skin. As she did so, the blood stopped flowing, skin tissue reformed and closed the gap, and even the threads of Bracken's tunic knitted together. "I have healed what he could have done for himself in a matter of hours, as you are well aware. Why did you bring him here if you knew he would survive on his own?" she asked.

The Fairy Queen's lips pressed tightly together. "I was under the impression that Bracken journeyed to Earth on a purely social visit, not to place himself in danger. Had I know he was venturing into a perilous area, I would have taken certain precautions to prevent something from happening. Without first knowing what kind of situation he was in, I had to step in, in case something drastic had occurred."

If Virtue hadn't been so disciplined in her actions, Kendra thought she might have rolled her eyes. Her voice dropped to a murmur. "Bracken can take care of himself," she whispered.

Kendra got the feeling she was intruding on something personal. In a normal situation she would have left the room, but that may be some unpardonable breach of etiquette here. Regardless, she had no idea where she would go. Instead, she knelt next to Bracken, watching him for any sign that he would awaken. Paying no attention to her, Virtue stood up to face her mother.

"I wish you would respect my decision," the Fairy Queen said exasperatedly.

"I wish you would let Bracken live independently," Virtue countered.

Kendra hummed in her head in a futile attempt to drown them out. Still, she was oddly fascinated by the discussion taking place. Clearly the Fairy Queen had a protective side, and apparently this wasn't the first time she and Virtue had had this debate.

"I gave him independence once, and he ended up a prisoner," the Fairy Queen reminded her.

"We are all old enough – in fact, beyond old enough – to live on our own," insisted Virtue. "Most mothers let their children go once their third horn has developed; why do you cling to us so?"

The Fairy Queen seemed to abruptly remember Kendra's presence. "We need not discuss this in front of our guest."

Confusion spread across Virtue's face. "Surely a human child –" She broke off. After she studied Kendra for a moment, comprehension dawned. "This is your young handmaiden – Bracken's consort."

Kendra felt a blush creep into her face. Was this how Brackens family knew her? As his _consort?_ Their romantic relationship hadn't progressed _that_ far, with only two visits in two years.

She stood and bowed to Virtue, wishing she wore more appropriate attire for her surroundings. Her pants and T-shirt, though quite practical for the sort of mission that usually followed an encounter with the Knights of the Dawn, looked out of place next to the elegant dresses Virtue and the Fairy Queen wore. "I am honored to meet you," she said.

"I am glad to make your acquaintance at last," responded Virtue. "My brother spoke of you incessantly."

"I know I probably wasn't supposed to hear that discussion," Kendra said carefully, "but I think Bracken volunteered for the rescue knowing what he was getting into, and it doesn't appear to have done him any permanent harm."

"Well spoken," Virtue praised her.

The Fairy Queen threw up her hands in frustration, but Kendra could see a glimmer of humor in her eyes. "Clearing I cannot argue against both of you."

"You would probably lose," said Bracken.

Kendra looked down at him in shock. He was conscious and had pulled himself into a sitting position. There was no trace of pain in his calm, peaceful face.

"Virtue wields her tongue like a sword," Bracken continued. "Logic is her strongest ally. I have never won an argument against her."

"My son," murmured the Fairy Queen. "Have you recovered?"

He shrugged. "I don't think I could stand up just yet, but I will violently protest if you attempt to take me to the infirmary." Kendra grinned – the Fairy Queen was outnumbered. "I just have to sit for a moment. Virtue did a wonderful job." He seemed to sense he tread on dangerous ground, risking a continuation of the earlier argument. "Where are the others?" he asked, officially changing the subject.

"Gardenia remains in the gardens. She would like to see you later," the Fairy Queen said. "Brynn is in the library." She glanced at Kendra for a split second before continuing. "She doesn't want to be interrupted, but you may speak with her privately when she finishes with her work for today. You will find Ophelia if you go to see your father." Kendra supposed Gardenia, Brynn, and Ophelia were Bracken's other sisters. Bracken nodded as if he had guessed where they would be.

"While you rest, I can take Kendra to change," suggested Virtue. Kendra once again felt conspicuous because of her clothing.

"I feel like an invalid, the way you're acting," Bracken muttered. "But that sounds fine. I will join you shortly."

"Good." Virtue set off toward the other end of the hall. Realizing Kendra wasn't following, she looked back and said, "Come." Kendra obliged, hurrying to catch up.

A corridor led into the hall. Virtue walked quickly down it, but not abruptly. She appeared to be dancing again. Kendra trailed slightly behind Virtue, examining the paintings on the walls. They were portraits – she spotted one of Bracken and one of Virtue. The detail was so fine that they could have been photographs, could have been real people staring out of windows. Kendra paused at one near the end of the hallway. The picture was framed in gold like the portrait of the Fairy Queen hanging next to it. A handsome man, older than Bracken – close to her dad in age, Kendra would have guessed, had she not know that all unicorns were immortal – gazed at her with deep blue eyes. Silver hair, more gray than white, fell to his shoulders. His resemblance to Bracken was remarkable. She wondered for one absurd second if the paintings showed the future.

Noticing Kendra's hesitation, Virtue returned to stand beside her. "This is my father," she said, indicating the painting. "These portraits were painted a few years before –" She stopped mid-sentence, but Kendra didn't need her to complete her thought: before the Demon King had killed him. Or, rather, before they _thought_ the Demon King had killed him. They had discovered after the battle on Shoreless Isle three years before that the Fairy King had been alive all along, kept by the Demon King like a souvenir, imprisoned in Zzyzx. Kendra guessed it was still hard for Virtue to talk about.

"How is he?" she asked, remembering that the King had been in somewhat of a stupor when they found him.

"More or less the same," replied Virtue. She seemed frustrated by the situation. "We are still trying to learn more about his condition. We must know what we are battling before we can heal the damage."

They continued walking. After they finished with the royal family, the portraits showed dignified, but less grand, men and women. Kendra decided they were other important dignitaries, lords and ladies and such.

The two halted outside an ornate wooden door, similar to but more intricately designed than the doors at Evening Glad. There were no pictures shown, though, just abstract shapes and swirls and the occasional flower. Virtue pushed open the door and beckoned Kendra inside.

Kendra stopped just inside the doorway. The bedroom was beautiful. It looked like a picture out of a fairy tale. A gleaming marble floor was covered by gilded rugs. Curtains made out of a different fabric but with a similar pattern cloaked a window. A luxurious bed – king-sized, at least – with four posts and curtains stood in the corner. It was like a princess's bedroom.

"It has been many years since we have hosted a guest, human or otherwise, but this room should meet your needs as long as you stay here," Virtue said.

This raised an important question in Kendra's mind. How long _was_ she going to stay? True, there was no safer place to hide an Eternal, but she couldn't overstay her welcome. Besides, she needed to sort out the problem of the six Eternals. With a jolt, she realized she didn't even know if the others had made it off of the preserve! But she pushed these thoughts to the side. Those issues could wait until later. Surely her absence wouldn't be too much of a problem. Seth and the others would be fine. Kendra composed herself and said to Virtue, "Thank you."

"There are gowns in the wardrobe that should fit," said Virtue, acknowledging Kendra's thanks with a nod. "I will wait outside while you disrobe." She left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Kendra opened one of the wardrobe doors, revealing a number of dresses in a variety of colors. She had worn dresses before, for holidays, at church, and for one memorable school play, but never for day-to-day wear, as she guessed the custom was here. She chose one at random, reaching in with her eyes closed. The gown she pulled out was the color of an early sunrise. The skirts brushed the ground when she held it up against herself. Both they and the bodice were embroidered. The overall piece reminded her of something from medieval times, but Kendra guessed that no outfits from that time period could hold a candle to this.

She removed her shirt and pants and slipped the thin underskirt over her head, following it with the dress itself. Virtue was right; it fit her perfectly. She twirled once, felling the skirts swish around her. It was nice, but not quite her style. She felt vulnerable.

Someone knocked softly on the door. "You can come in," Kendra called. Turning around, she was pleasantly surprised to see Bracken enter the room instead of his Virtue. In fact, his sister was nowhere in sight.

"Where did Virtue go?" Kendra asked casually. She was aware that this was the first time she had been alone with Bracken in almost a year.

"She returned to the infirmary," Bracken explained. "She is one of the chief healers helping my father." He stepped closer, and Kendra could see that no trace of pain or weakness lingered in his expression. If Kendra hadn't known better, she never would have guessed he had been injured in the first place.

"I suspected these gowns would fit," he went on. "My sister Ophelia is close to you in size."

Kendra swallowed nervously. She was wearing his sister's clothes? Was she putting her out of her room?

Bracken seemed to notice her discomfort. "She hasn't slept here for the past three years," he reassured her. "Mother allowed her to relocate to a room closer to the infirmary. She hardly leaves my father's side."

"Oh," Kendra said. "I see."

"Would you like to meet my sisters?" Bracken offered.

Kendra nodded. "Okay." Now that she had been reminded of their existence, she was fairly curious about them.

As she turned to leave the room, Bracken startled her by pulling her into a warm embrace. It was totally out of character; they had never done anything particularly intimate during his visits to Fablehaven. She had to admit, it felt pleasant. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.

After a few peaceful moments, too short for Kendra's taste, they drew apart. Making no comment about what had just transpired, Bracken said, "Gardenia is most eager to meet you. Shall we head to the gardens first?"

"Sure," agreed Kendra. Her voice was steady, but inside her heart thrummed like a hummingbird's wings.

Bracken led her into the hallways and turned in the opposite direction they had come from. Instead of portraits, landscapes adorned these walls. They showed picturesque mountain views and seascapes. One painting was of a garden with tiny points of light that Kendra supposed were fairies. Another depicted a young girl clutching a blazing sword, standing over a fallen demon.

"Brynn painted that one shortly after the battle with the Demon King," Bracken said, indicating the picture.

"It's amazing," Kendra breathed. "So detailed."

Bracken smiled. "I'll be sure to tell her."

They emerged from the corridor into a light and airy room. The walls and ceiling were translucent, allowing them to see the beautiful foliage growing outside. Kendra was reminded of a greenhouse, except they were the ones enclosed while the plants grew freely.

An orange-skinned fairy flew up to the window and waved at them. Bracken returned the gesture, smiling at her. The fair mimed opening a door. He approached a seam in the wall Kendra hadn't noticed before and pushed it open. The fairy flew in and perched on Bracken's shoulder. Kendra was surprised by her behavior; fairies usually thought about little besides themselves and their flowers, but this one appeared to have interest in communicating.

The fairy spoke in a voice like wind chimes to Bracken. "She's confused."

"After meeting Virtue, she expects my siblings to look like humans," Bracken replied.

Kendra realized they were speaking a fairy dialect. She was getting better at picking up on these things. She thought they were talking about her, but she didn't understand Bracken's comment. Surely the fairy wasn't… "Gardenia?" she asked hesitantly.

The fairy's eyes widened briefly. "I forgot she speaks out languages," she said to Bracken. To Kendra, she said, "Yes, I am the youngest daughter of the Fairy Queen. I take it I am not what you expected?"

Kendra chewed her lip nervously. She didn't want to say something that would offend Gardenia, but she couldn't think of the right words to express her thoughts. Then she noticed the fairy smiling; she was only teasing her.

"Our mother was the first fairy, and the other fairies – fairies as you know them – formed from the flowers she planted," Bracken told her. "We, her children, were conceived in a similar way, with equal parts of magic from her and Father. But while the rest of us grew from crystals into foals, Gardenia blossomed from a flower."

"I see," Kendra said, fascinated by the history.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Gardenia said, extending a tiny hand to Kendra, who shook it gingerly. "I am honored to be in the presence of the girl who slew the Demon King."

Kendra wasn't sure what was worse; being known as Bracken's consort or as a girl much braver than she was.

"Would you like to see my plants?" Gardenia invited? "I cultivate them year-round. Of course, it helps that the seasons cycle only between spring and summer. And that –"

"That sounds lovely," Bracken cut her off. With a sideways grin at Kendra, he added, "Gardenia would babble on all day if we let her." Gardenia stuck her tongue out at him and led them into the gardens.

The air was pleasantly warm and moist, but not uncomfortably so. The days were beginning to grow cooler back in Connecticut, but here it felt like late spring. Green, leafy bushes pressed in on them from both sides. Above their heads, long tree branches formed a canopy.

As they walked along the cobbled path, Bracken and Gardenia chattered randomly. Gardenia had just planted some new pansies, did he like the arrangement? Bracken thought it was lovely, as usual. Had they made any significant progress in the rebuilding? Nothing amazing, according to Gardenia, but she said that Castor missed his 'heavy-lifting buddy.' Did Bracken know that Emeril and Rosalind were finally getting married? No, but he offered his congratulations. Gardenia added slyly that the gossips of the realm were whispering exciting about a very different, unique couple…

Kendra trailed behind the two, lost in thought. For a while she remembered the few blissful moments she had Bracken had hugged, and fantasized about future experiences. Then she wondered about Bracken's abrupt change of character. Or perhaps it wasn't a change, just a side of him she had never seen before. The Bracken she knew kept a placid façade, offered frequently wise advice, and took charge in a hairy situation. This Bracken was more outgoing and more generous with his emotions. Kendra concluded it was because they were in the Fairy Queen's realm, his home. Perhaps most of Earth was unfamiliar to him, so he felt uncomfortable there. She suspected it went deeper than that, though. Whenever she was with him on Earth, it seemed something bad was going on. They had needed to be on their toes and ready for the worst. Here, it was peaceful. Their worries meant nothing. No one was going to get kidnapped or go on a dangerous mission to search for an artifact. It was enough to make even the most high-strung person relax.

Before she knew it, they stood in front of a pair of French doors. Bracken thanked Gardenia for the tour. "Everything looks lovely," he said. The fairy beamed. "I don't suppose you'd want to come see Brynn with us?" he offered.

Gardenia glanced at Kendra for the tiniest fraction of a second. "Are you sure –" she began, but interrupted herself. "Never mind. No, thank you. I really should get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Kendra." With that, she flew back into the gardens. Kendra waved at her retreating back.

Bracken turned to Kendra and gestured at the doors. "The library is through here. Do you want to go in?" She nodded eagerly; it would likely be a fascinating experience.

Then Kendra remembered the Fairy Queen saying that Brynn didn't want to be bothered. Would it be wise to intrude? She also recalled something else.

"Why does everyone look at me funny when they mention Brynn?" she asked. She had noticed it earlier when the Fairy Queen mentioned her and just now with Gardenia.

Bracken sidestepped the question. "My eldest sister and I stand firmly on opposite sides of an argument. I hope to make peace with her," he said. Kendra knew there was more to it than he revealed, but didn't press him. All would probably be revealed shortly.

He pushed open the doors and the two entered the library. Kendra looked around in awe. They were in a small alcove separate from the rest of the grand room; judging from the cushy chairs strategically placed in from of the windows, Kendra guessed that people came here to read and look at the flowers. Through a gap in the wall, Kendra saw bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling, and the ceiling must have been thirty or forty feet above the ground. Each shelf was packed with books, most of them thick volumes – a few hundred pages long at least. She would be in heaven here.

The doors slammed shut behind them, making Kendra wince. The sound shattered the calm atmosphere.

An imperious voice rang out. "I thought I said I wasn't to be interrupted!"

"Peace, Brynn," Bracken called back. "It is only I. I came to see how you were getting on."

"I am no further than I was three days ago when you left," Brynn replied. "Did you expect a miraculous breakthrough?"

Kendra remembered the Fairy Queen saying that Brynn was busy. _Doing what?_ she wondered. She shot a curious glance at Bracken, but he put a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet.

"I would appreciate a break from my research," Brynn went on. "I have something I would like to discuss with you, but 'tis a sensitive subject. Are you alone?"

"No, I-" Bracken began. His sister interrupted him.

"Wait, come closer," said Brynn. "We disturb the scholarly atmosphere with our shouted conversation."

Bracken frowned slightly; Kendra thought he looked nervous. What was there to be nervous about? Kendra was eager to meet another of his sisters. If Brynn spent most of her time in the library, she guessed the two of them would get along easily. He took a deep breath and stepped into the main library, indicating her to follow.

Almost every wall was covered with books, except for those that held tapestries and paintings. Kendra noted a number of racks filled with scrolls that stood on the other side of the room. A few wooden tables were spread throughout the room, spaced at regular intervals. A dark-haired woman sat at one of these tables, several books and scrolls spread out in front of her. A small, glowing globe floated a foot or so above her head, illuminating her workspace. Kendra guessed this was Brynn.

The woman looked up and saw Bracken. A small smile appeared on face. Then she caught sight of Kendra and her expression darkened. She stood and rapidly closed the distance between herself and Bracken. Kendra noticed that she was a good few inches taller than him and looked rather intimidating.

"A human, in the Immortal Realm?" she hissed. "Such a thing has never been heard of!"

"Brynn, Mother invited Kendra here herself," Bracken said.

"Does she think that as the Queen's handmaiden she is entitled to certain luxuries?" Brynn demanded. "Including the hand of the prince?"

Kendra thought about this last statement. Obviously there was a Fairy Queen, making her husband the Fairy King, but she hadn't thought of their children as princes and princesses. She wondered if this was a monarchy, or if the royal family was just symbolic.

"My love is not something Kendra receives automatically as a result of her position." Kendra got the feeling that he chose his words carefully. "It is a mutual agreement."

She grew warm inside as the meaning of his words reached home. He loved her! As she loved him!

"A unicorn and a human girl," scoffed Brynn. "Absurd."

"I came here seeking a peaceful resolution to our disagreement," Bracken said. "Why must we continue to argue? Can we not each accept the other's opinion?"

'I believe you are unable to see the matter from my point of view," said Brynn firmly. "When you are prepared to be rational, I am willing to compromise with you."

"I _am_ being rational," Bracken asserted. "I understand clearly that you think our relationship is unacceptable, since your feet are firmly planted in tradition."

All the while, Kendra tingled. She knew this conversation was important – clearly Brynn thought she was intruding and was not welcome in her brother's life. But to hear the things Bracken said…

One thought, however, tickled at the back of Kendra's mind; if Brynn hated her so, why did she paint that picture of the girl and the Demon King?

"And what is wrong with tradition?" Brynn countered.

"It limits one to the old ways. One becomes unable to embrace any new concept," said Bracken.

"Your reasoning makes sense, but you stretch the analogy to compare it to the circumstances. You're overrationalizing."

Kendra got the feeling that listening to Bracken and Brynn argue would be like listening to two college professors have an intellectual debate.

Before Bracken could respond, however, a nervous-looking man approached the trio. He glanced from Bracken to Brynn, as if afraid they might resent his intrusion, and even looked at Kendra curiously for a split second. Then he bowed to the arguing brother and sister. "Your highnesses," he murmured.

"Courier," Brynn greeted him. Kendra wondered if this was his name or just his position.

"I bring a message from her Majesty, the Fairy Queen, for her son," he said with another bow. "He requests your presence – her handmaiden's, too – in her study as soon as you have an opportunity."

"Thank you, Darrym," said Bracken. So his name was Darrym, Kendra realized, and he was a courier. She wondered why Bracken addressed him personally while Brynn used his rank. Perhaps she thought everyone else was below her. But somehow Brynn didn't strike her as that sort of person. She was proud, sure, which was probably why she refused to lose the argument to Bracken, but not arrogant.

"We can leave right now," Bracken went on. To Brynn, he added, "Unless there was anything you wanted to say to me that you have not said before?" She shook her head wordlessly and, with one last glance of contempt at Kendra, returned to the table she was working at before.

Darrym bowed a third time to Bracken and led the way out of the library, through a door to the rest of the building instead of through the gardens. He escorted Kendra and Bracken through a winding maze of corridors, overlapping no hallways Kendra had seen before. They stopped outside a wooden door, similar to the one to Ophelia's bedroom but much grander. Darrym approached it as if to knock but Bracken bypassed him and just pushed it open. Kendra supposed that he didn't really have to worry about retaliation from interrupting his own mother.

"Thank you," Bracken murmured to Darrym. "We will be fine on our own from here." Darrym nodded and retreated down the hallway.

Inside the study, the Fairy Queen sat behind a desk, bent over some papers, scribbling away with a quill. Kendra found this odd and almost primitive, but realized they probably wouldn't use pens here like the ones she was used to. Remembering a project which she'd had to write out using a quill pen and old-fashioned ink, she hoped fervently she would never be required to write something here.

Peering over the Queen's shoulder, Bracken inquired, "More land grants?"

She looked up and seemed to see them for the first time. "Yes, yes," she said, sounding distracted. "We have so much more space now than before… we have to divide up all the land." She shook her head as if clearing away excess thoughts. "But that's not what I wanted to discuss. I actually meant to ask you, Kendra, where you want your permanent quarters to be. Ophelia's is the only open room at the moment, but we can easily construct something for you. Based on some – er – rumors that have been floating about, I assume you would like rooms close to Bracken's, but you can't get much closer than those you have now. I think –"

"Wait," Kendra cut her off. She knew this could possibly be a terrible crime in a world ruled by royalty, but her head was spinning. "You want me to live here – permanently?"

"Yes, of course," the Fairy Queen said. She seemed slightly surprised. "As my handmaiden – and with no pressing crisis upon us – this is the perfect place for you. And, of course, there's no safer place for an Eternal."

"Wait," Kendra repeated. She needed to get her thoughts in order. Faces appeared in her mind's eye – Seth, her parents, Grandma, Grandpa… Bracken. But could she sacrifice living with them just to see him more often?

The choice seemed obvious.

"My family?" she asked.

The Fairy Queen's eyes glowed with sympathy. Kendra remembered that Bracken had spent hundreds of years in the dungeon at Living Mirage. The Fairy Queen must have been remembering those years, remembering what it was like to be separated from a family member.

"You could see them, of course," promised the Fairy Queen.

Kendra thought about how she'd felt in the years since the closing of Zzyzx. Bracken had spent most of his time here, rebuilding the Fairy Realm. His visits to Fablehaven and been wonderful and special, but also few and far between. Could she do that to her family?

Of course not.

She thought of Bracken, of the sweet moments they'd shared just over an hour ago, and of his defense of their love – oh, how wonderful it was to be able to think that word – to Brynn. As amazing as he was, and as much as she wanted to see him more than she had in the past several years, some things weren't worth giving up.

"Your generosity is amazing," Kendra said earnestly. She had to make them understand how much she appreciated the offer. "But it's not right for me to be here. Brynn's right –" She saw concern flash in Bracken's eyes. "- about one thing, I mean. It's not right for a human to be here. Everything here is so magical, and being here is an experience I'll never forget." _So is defying one of the most powerful beings in the universe,_ she added to herself.

While Bracken breathed a small sigh of relief, the Fairy Queen frowned. "Why do you want to leave?" she asked. Her tone was polite, but Kendra got the feeling that she thought this was non-negotiable. "I would like to hear your own opinion, please, not my eldest daughter's."

Kendra swallowed, thinking hard. She had to make a convincing argument. If she didn't, would the Fairy Queen prevent her from leaving? She didn't want to find out.

"I can't leave Mom and Dad and Seth and Grandma and Grandpa like that," she said. "I just got kidnapped, and most of them didn't even get a chance to see me after the rescue. Plus," she added, "there's a mess back home that needs to be sorted out. There are six Eternals for some reason, and I'm the only one who knows that we are all true Eternals. And, perhaps most importantly, life on Earth is all I've ever known. There, I could go to school or work at Fablehaven or get a job, but here I don't know what I'd do with my life, and it's going to be a long one." Kendra took a deep breath. Now she had to play her trump card. "Please, think of all those years Bracken spent at Living Mirage and how awful it was for you because you weren't quite sure where he was or if you'd see him again." She whispered the last part. "I bet that's how my parents feel right now."

The Fairy Queen was silent for a few moments. Then, quietly, she said, "I understand how you feel. You may return to Fablehaven as soon as you wish."

Kendra wanted to leave right at that moment. Their discussion had returned the urgent problems to the front of her mind, not to mention her suddenly burning desire to see her family again. But she couldn't think of a way to say so without being impolite.

She was relieved when Bracken said, "We can leave immediately. I will take you to the shrine."

"No, you won't," the Fairy Queen said firmly. Concern for her son filled her expression.

"Why?" Bracken asked.

It was a simple question. His tone wasn't accusatory, nor was it pleading or whiny. He just wanted to know why she wouldn't let him return to Fablehaven with Kendra.

The Fairy Queen opened her mouth to respond, but closed it. There was no legitimate reason for her to refuse him, Kendra realized. There was nothing at Fablehaven that could pose a significant threat to his wellbeing. Besides, he was old enough, wise enough, and mature enough to make his own decisions. "You may go." The Fairy Queen sighed resignedly.

With nothing left to say, Kendra and Bracken exited the study. Together they walked through the maze of corridors. After a few minutes, they halted outside a pair of dark, wooden doors.

Before they went inside, Bracken said softly, "I would have gone, even if she had refused me." Kendra knew this. "After what happened after the Eternal ceremony, I couldn't bear to let you out of my sight." He inhaled deeply. "I love you, Kendra."

Kendra felt as if her heart might burst. She had imagined this moment many times before, but she didn't know what to say in reply. So instead she decided to show him how she felt. She pulled Bracken toward her and held him close. Then, her heart pounding, she looked up to face him and their lips met.

After what felt like a very long time, they broke apart. Fire burned in Kendra's cheeks, but Bracken was smiling. He took Kendra's hand in his own and used the other to push open the doors. Hand in hand, they entered the room. This, Kendra thought, was how they would face the future.

Together.

**Author's Note: **If my friend or sister ever read this chapter, they would collapse in a fit of giggles. ("_It is a mutual agreement,_ Melinda? Seriously?) I'm not entirely sure romance is my thing. Or at least human romance. Before this story all I had really written was _Warriors_ fanfiction, and cats don't hug or kiss or anything (nor was there an excuse to put romance in those stories). I think it might have been a little cheesy.

Also, I think some of you, my faithful readers, may be thinking that it's kind of lame that they went in and out of the Fairy Queen's realm in just a chapter. And yes, I suppose it is. But I am glad to report that I know exactly where the story is going, because I wasn't entirely sure before. The visit to the Fairy Realm wasn't supposed to be a huge part of the story. This chapter was mainly to set up for something I have planned for later.

On one final note, I did mean to include a little of Seth in this chapter, but I was able to write much more about the Fairy Realm than I thought I would. I plan to include him in the next chapter, though.

I hope you enjoyed it! All comments and critique are, as usual, greatly appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

I will preface this chapter by saying that while I _love_ to read romance between Bracken and Kendra, I can not write it, as I learned after posting the previous chapter. Oh well – there are other, more talented writers out there whose work I can read.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Six**

Less than twenty-four hours since they had left Fablehaven, Seth once again was in the kitchen, waiting. This time, however, he stood in the corner, leaning against the refrigerator. This was because the chairs were occupied by five very confused Eternals. Yes, five, even though Kendra still wasn't back from wherever she was with her little unicorn friends (not that Seth was jealous or anything). That made six in total, even though the other Eternals swore up and down that there were only five. They had decided early on that one was an impostor and a liar. But whom?

Each Eternal had a different opinion. Eric, a large, muscular man and possibly the only one who could take Tanu in an arm-wrestling match, claimed he had never seen Antoinette, the French woman, before in his life, much less at the Eternal ceremony. Meanwhile, Antoinette had decreed loudly that "ze Sphinx, 'e cannot be trusted." The Sphinx, on the other hand, said that Jim had never been an Eternal and wasn't sure why their enemies had captured him. Jim himself accused Kendra of being the traitor, which was why, he said, she had run off. No one listened much to Jim.

The only person no one had pointed a finger at was Warren, though he had quietly spoken his misgivings about Eric. He was of the opinion that there was probably a very good reason for all of this confusion – they just had to wait to find out.

They had gotten no farther than this in their discussion. Now they were just repeating the same facts and conclusions over and over.

"I hope Kendra has some useful information," Tanu said. Again.

"Because if she doesn't, we're back at square one," Mara agreed for the third time. Or maybe the fourth. Seth wasn't really counting.

"I would say square negative one, since we're more confused than ever," muttered Vanessa.

"Even if Kendra does know something, it won't matter if we don't know it before we can make use of it," Grandpa pointed out.

Seth couldn't take it any longer. "Can we cut the pessimism?" he burst out. "If we want answers, why aren't we out there looking for them? Why are we just sitting around?"

He thought the adults didn't look appropriately chagrined.

"We need to pool our information before we can take action," explained Trask. Seth thought that sounded like a weak excuse. They really had no idea what was going on or what to do about it. They were holding onto their last hope.

"What we need is some way to contact her," said Mara. Seth perked up a little. Finally, they were discussing something new. Then he remembered something.

"Wait, I think we can!" he said excitedly. His idea relied heavily on the assumption that Kendra was still with Bracken, but that was probable. "Three years ago, when we were in the dungeon at Living Mirage, Bracken gave me an enchanted coin so we could communicate. I still have it in my room."

"Go for it," urged Warren. "We have nothing to lose."

Seth dashed up to the attic and retrieved the coin from where it was hidden in the drawer of his nightstand. It was a heavy, foreign coin, but very familiar to him. He had used it when Kendra, Warren and Bracken were trying to protect the former Eternals while he, Vanessa, and the satyrs hunted down Vasilis.

Seconds later, he stood in the kitchen, clutching the coin. Everyone's eyes were on him. Feeling slightly conspicuous, he thought, _Bracken?_

For a few heartbeats, there was silence. Oh, man, he was going to look like an idiot if this didn't work. But then –

_Seth! _came the reply. _What's up?_

_We need to talk to Kendra_, Seth explained quickly. _We're sitting on our butts because we have to "pool our information" before we can take action. We all hope Kendra knows something._

_We're on our way,_ Bracken answered.

_What?_ asked Seth, confused. Surely they'd been planning to stay for longer than a few hours.

_Our stay in the Fairy Realm was short,_ replied Bracken, but he didn't elaborate. _We'll be arriving at the shrine shortly_.

_The fairy shrine at Fablehaven? _Seth confirmed. He still wasn't quite sure what was going on.

_Yes, of course,_ replied Bracken.

_But weren't you injured?_ Seth asked.

_Seth, unicorns are the best healers in the world,_ Bracken reminded him.

_Oh. Right._ Seth shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to end the conversation. Finally, he thought, _I guess we'll see you shortly?_

_As soon as possible,_ Bracken promised.

_Great._ Seth slipped the coin into his pocket, disconnecting the communication. Turning to his audience, he announced, "It worked. They're on their way."

Grandpa raised his eyebrows. "Here?"

Seth nodded. "Apparently unicorns can travel between shrines to the Fairy Queen."

"This is good news," said the Sphinx. "Soon this mystery may be solved."

And so they settled down to wait. Again. Seth leaned back against the wall and tried to keep his eyes from flicking to the door. Even after Kendra and Bracken arrived at the shrine, it would be a twenty-minute walk back to the house. Instead, he thought about what his sister might know. She was fairykind, so she might be able to see through a distracter spell hiding the true number of Eternals. Ideally she could have heard something that might hint at their enemies' next move. Their leader was a traitorous Knight of the Dawn – both Warren and Trask had recognized her – so it was quite possible they had access to inside information. The question was, how much did they know?

About a quarter of an hour later, someone knocked at the back door. Seth's mother practically flew across the kitchen to open it. She threw open the door, revealing Kendra briefly, but Seth's sister rapidly disappeared into a bear hug from their mother.

"Oh, Kendra," she sobbed breathlessly. "I'm so glad you're all right."

Patting her mother's shoulder, Kendra said, "I'm fine, Mom, really."

Her father joined the hug. He said nothing, but Seth could see the relief on his face. He patiently waited for them to finish.

Finally, Bracken and Kendra joined the rest of them at the kitchen table.

"I found out so much," Kendra said enthusiastically. "There are actually six Eternals!" The other five immediately burst into muttered accusations and pointed glares.

The Sphinx, at least, seemed to try to wrestle his doubts into control. "Each of us is legitimate?" he confirmed.

Kendra nodded and said, "Everyone participated in the ceremony."

"But why are there six?" Grandpa wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Kendra shrugged. "Wait – there is something that might relate to it."

She paused. "Go on," Trask prompted.

"The first morning, Estelle brought me into her study and we talked a little," said Kendra. "She said there's a sixth artifact, the Sword of justice. Only it can kill the Eternals."

They sat in stunned silence. This was a twist none of them had expected. Seth wasn't sure it was a good thing that the Eternals were practically untouchable. In a way, it was more unsettling than knowing there were a few different substances out there that could kill the Eternals. Phoenix-feather arrows were extremely hard to come by, but the Sword, like all artifacts, had a definitely location. Their enemies could throw everything they had at it until they got past the traps.

"Is there any way to verify this?" asked Warren. His question was directed at the group at large, but he looked at the Sphinx. Seth could understand why; as former Captain of the Knights of the Dawn and leader of the Society of the Evening Star, he may have known something about the existence of the Sword of Justice.

"When it became known that the Society was hunting down artifacts," the Sphinx began, "preparations were made to make Zzyzx even more secure, should it be opened and sealed again. There was some talk of a sixth artifact, but I discovered nothing more than rumors. I allied with Mirav, hoping that he, as a wizard, would be privy to official information, but he knew nothing that I hadn't heard before and couldn't give credit to the hearsay. However, he thought – and I agree – that Agad would probably know or would be behind the making of such an artifact."

Mara spoke up. "But then how could Estelle know of this? If you, as Captain of the Knights, were not qualified enough to have the information, why would a novice Knight be aware of it?"

"She claimed to have 'friends in high places,'" Kendra reported.

"One of the other ancient wizards could have turned traitor," suggested the Sphinx.

"Should we contact Agad to verify the existence of a sixth artifact?" asked Trask.

The Sphinx nodded gravely. "Certainly. We also need to report the kidnapping – and rescue – of the Eternals."

The group dispersed. Seth headed up the stairs to his bedroom, his head spinning with thoughts of six Eternals and a magic sword.

A few hours later, Seth, Kendra, their parents, Grandma, Grandpa, and Warren regrouped in Grandpa's study. As soon as they were safely ensconced, Seth asked Grandpa, "Did you talk to Agad?"

Grandpa, nodding, said, "He was hesitant to reveal the information at first, but once I explained the circumstances, he was willing. He's quite alarmed by the situation."

"We all are," Seth's mother agreed vehemently. Seth got the feeling she was talking about Kendra becoming an Eternal without asking as much as Kendra's being kidnapped.

"And is there a sixth artifact?" Warren pressed.

"He said there is: the Sword of Justice," confirmed Grandpa. "He also said that it _is _the only thing that can kill the Eternals. That information was _supposed_ to be kept secret from the general public, even the Eternals – especially the Eternals, in fact, in case they got any ideas about being especially invulnerable."

"Did Agad suggest a course of action?" asked Warren.

"He thinks we should recover the artifact so he can relocate it to a safer place. We need to move quickly, he says, since anyone who knows the Sword exists is likely to know where it's hidden."

"Where is it?" Seth wanted to know.

Grandpa glanced around and lowered his voice, even though there was no one near enough to the study that they could listen in. "If we can't trust everyone here at Fablehaven, we can't trust anyone," he began, echoing what Tanu had said the day before. "However, we should not flaunt the Sword's location where just anyone can hear. I'm trusting your judgment." He directed this last comment at Seth, who rolled his eyes. He had outgrown his careless phase. "Understood?"

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"The Sword of Justice is located at a secret preserve in eastern England called Lakemist. Agad said it's the most protected of the six, and he stresses the need for caution," Grandpa said.

"What kind of traps are guarding it?" asked Kendra.

"Agad didn't go into specifics, just that we should expect the worst," replied Grandpa.

"Worse than the dragons at Wyrmroost?" Seth asked. Clearly the wizards meant business when they locked up the Sword.

"Maybe," Grandpa answered.

"I hope not," Warren muttered with a shudder. "I never want to live through that nightmare again."

"You won't have to," Grandpa promised. "You're not going."

"What? No!" Warren instantly objected. Seth had to agree. It just wouldn't be the same without Warren there. He had helped them retrieve all of the other artifacts. Not just helped – in fact, when they went after the Sands of Sanctity, he had done all of the work.

"None of the Eternals are going to Lakemist," said Grandpa firmly. "It would be absurd to have them so close to the Sword."

"Then who _is_ going?" asked Seth, though he had a guess in mind.

This time Grandma responded. "Tanu, Trask, Mara, another Knight Trask recommended, and, if you want to go… you as well, Seth."

"Out of the question," Seth's father said immediately. "We were willing to make an exception before because of the imminent danger the Eternals were in, but the Sword of Justice is no pressing matter."

"But it is!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Don't you see? If our enemies reach the Sword first, there's nothing to stop them from killing the Eternals. Fablehaven isn't really a secret preserve anymore – they could march in here at any time, provided they got past the distracter spells."

"Why on Earth would we keep all the Eternals in one place?" cried Seth's mother. "That's a disaster waiting to happen."

"We have no other arrangement planned," Grandpa admitted sheepishly.

"Crazy," Seth's father muttered.

Kendra spoke up hesitantly. "There is one place we could hide."

The others looked at her expectantly.

"We'd have to ask Bracken, but… Well, we could shelter the Eternals in the Fairy Queen's Realm."

"It's a good idea, but she would never allow it," Warren pointed out. "Humans haven't been allowed in her Realm for thousands of years."

"When I was there, she offered," said Kendra. "She said there's no safer place for an Eternal."

"Did the Fairy Queen offer it to all of the Eternals, or just to you?" Grandpa clarified.

"Just to me," Kendra said. "But maybe if she knew of the circumstances…?" She trailed off, letting her question hang in the air.

"It's one thing for the Fairy Queen to invite her handmaiden to hide in her realm, but it's totally different to have five other ordinary humans there," Grandma said.

"But we're not ordinary," Warren reminded her. "We are among the many locks keeping Zzyzx sealed. Surely she would do anything to ensure that the demons are imprisoned."

"We could use that as our trump card," Seth suggested. "There's no way she could refuse us if we reminded her about Zzyzx."

"It's more of a wild card," Grandma said pessimistically. "We don't want her to feel like we're forcing her into a deal. She might not even think Estelle and the others are enough of a threat."

"We won't know until we try. We can run it past Bracken and see what he thinks. If Bracken says it's a good idea, he can contact the Fairy Queen and ask," Grandpa decided.

"And when do we leave for England?" Seth asked.

"First thing tomorrow," replied Grandpa, "whether or not the Eternals have been moved to a safer location."

"This is going to sound pessimistic," added Seth, "but what happens if the others get to the Sword before we do?" His words were met with a grim silence. "What's our plan B? Do we even have a plan B?"

"Seth, this may come as a shock to you, but we were totally unprepared for this," Grandpa said bluntly. "After Zzyzx was closed, the Society of the Evening Star was dissolved and we thought for the first time in many years that we could take some time off and relax. No one actually thought that the freshly hidden artifacts were at risk of being discovered or that the new Eternals were in danger. There were few precautions set in place to protect the Eternals immediately after the ceremony, which is how our enemies were able to kidnap them. All we were used to – the Society, the Knights – is now irrelevant. We have to form new strategies and take new precautions and basically reestablish our secret culture. We are setting the standard for caretakers thousands of years from now who will have to deal with what we did three years ago so they won't make the same mistakes we did. So no, there is no plan B, because we didn't have a chance to develop one. We will not make that mistake again, but for now, plan A is our only hope."

**Author's Note:**

Well, that was short. By my new standards, at least – 2500 words is pretty long for a chapter in any of my other stories. However, I fit in everything I wanted in this chapter, so I'm content with the length.

Yes, I made two references to a trump card in the last two chapters. Oh well. Maybe Seth and Kendra played a lot of Euchre lately?

I know some of you may not have especially enjoyed the last chapter (I will admit it wasn't my best work), so I hope this one was more satisfying. Any suggestions/critique/reviews are welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The first thing Seth noticed about Melanie Johnson was that she always seemed to be in motion. Since the moment she met them at the airport in London until now waiting outside the gate of Lakemist preserve, she had been tapping her foot, drumming her fingers, or jogging in place. When Seth had commented on it to Trask, the Knight had replied that it came from being a Knight of the Dawn.

"Melanie's always on her toes," Trask explained. "She usually works in the field, so she's had to get herself out of some sticky situations. She likes to be ready for anything. For Melanie, being ready means never being inactive."

Seth wondered how she ever slept. She didn't strike him as the kind of person to like getting caught napping.

Now they waited in a car outside the gates of the preserve. Melanie bounced up and down slightly in her seat. Seth was tempted to join in. Instead, he decided to try to make conversation.

"What's our excuse for being here?" he asked the Knights at large.

"What do you mean?" said Tanu.

"Well, we're obviously not going to tell them we're after the artifact, but when a bunch of heavily armed Knights of the Dawn show up on their doorstep, they're going to want to know why we're here," Seth explained.

"As far as the caretakers are aware, we're just making a routine inspection to ensure the safeness of the artifact," said Trask.

"But aren't they going to be suspicious?" asked Seth. _He_ sure would be, especially knowing what had happened to the Eternals and which artifact was hidden on this preserve.

Tanu seemed to read his mind. "The caretakers of a secret preserve don't necessarily know _which_ artifact is on their land. _We_ didn't, at Fablehaven," he reminded him.

Trask glanced at Melanie, who seemed to be absorbed in looking out at the landscape beyond the fence. He dropped his voice to a whisper and added, "Besides, hardly anyone knows of the events from a few days ago."

Seth raised his eyebrows, surprised. Why was Melanie involved in the mission if she wasn't part of their inner circle?

The answer to that question would have to wait for later. Slowly but surely, the rusty gates creaked open, revealing dusty foliage and an overgrown road. Blades of grass poked up between cracks in the pavement and fallen branches were strewn across it.

"It looks abandoned," Mara remarked. Seth agreed: it looked like the caretakers of Lakemist weren't doing a very good job of taking care of it.

A woman in tattered jeans and a faded T-shirt emerged from behind a tree and approached the car. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave your vehicle here," she called. "We try to avoid introducing foreign technology to the magical world."

_They're like Grandpa, but worse,_ Seth thought, remembering how many times he had been chewed out for trying to sell batteries to the satyrs. _But at least we have technology at the _house,_ and we drive cars and stuff._

The five exited the car and joined the woman inside the fence. She grabbed a lever attached to the bars and pulled, shutting the gate behind them.

"Won't someone steal it?" Seth asked uncertainly.

"The distracter spells will keep them away," the woman said confidently.

They followed the path for about ten minutes. As they walked, Seth gazed around him, taking in their surroundings. He had been on four different preserves before, though Hidden glade hardly counted because they were in a rush, but so far, Lakemist seemed the most peaceful. The worn path showed that nature was respected here and that the hustle and bustle of the outside world was rejected. While his eyes rested upon a half-open rosebud, a fairy flew out of the bush and tapped it once, causing it to blossom into a beautiful flower. Everything was as it should be.

Of course, if their enemies had their sights on the Sword of Justice, this calm, quiet preserve would be thrown into chaos.

The group approached a small cabin, about the size of the garage at Fablehaven. Tendrils of ivy crawled up one side of the hose, with fairies nestled in between the leaves. Smoke curled out of the chimney. Seth even thought in the distance he could see an outhouse. The whole thing was rustic, but it fit with the scenery.

The woman gestured at the house. "It isn't much, but we get by. It's perfect for just my husband and me, but if I had known so many of you would be coming, I could have made alternate arrangements."

"No worries," Trask assured her. He shrugged off his bulky backpack and pulled out what Seth recognized as a rolled-up tent. "Is there someplace we can set this up?"

The woman pointed to a patch of ground beside the cottage. "Over there. It's a little soggy, though," she warned.

Seth swatted at a mosquito that landed on his knee. "It's like a marsh here," he muttered.

The woman chuckled. "Of course," she said. "Sometimes, after a heavy rain, the lake overflows and the land around the house floods."

"Lake?" Seth repeated, confused.

"How do you think Lakemist got its name?" the woman asked. "A vast body of water takes up most of the preserve. We mainly have aquatic creatures here, naiads and the like.

"And fairies," Melanie put in.

"And fairies," the woman agreed. "They care for the plants here. We've never had to hire an extra hand."

"It's just you and your husband here?" Seth asked, surprised.

"Melanie helps out sometimes, when she isn't on a mission for the Knights," she said. "Which isn't that often, but we manage. Since most of the creatures live in the lake, there's not much upkeep to be done."

"I see." In Seth's mind it wasn't a question getting work done, but of protection. He personally would be terrified of living alone on a preserve where half of the creatures wanted to kill him. Of course, if the treaty were overthrown, having a few other people on the preserve wouldn't really help, but at least they would provide an illusion of security.

"Melanie helps out on the preserve?" Tanu clarified.

Melanie nodded before the woman could answer. "Didn't I tell you-? Sarah is my sister."

They shook their heads. This was news to them.

"We grew up here," the woman – Sarah – explained. "When she was old enough, Melanie left to become a Knight of the Dawn. I helped Mum and Dad take care of things until I married. They retired a few years ago. Things have been relatively calm since Phil and I became caretakers."

"It won't be peaceful here much longer," Mara murmured, too softly for Sarah to hear.

"Once we're settled in, could you show us around?" asked Tanu.

"Of course," replied Sarah. "Don't let my idle chatter keep you from your job."

Seth turned to help Trask set up the tent, only to discover that it was already assembled. Nearly the size of the cottage beside it, it would fit all five of them, though with their bags it may be a squeeze.

"You can dump your gear in here," said Trask, unzipping the flap that served as a door. Seth bent over and climbed in, dumping his heavy backpack on the ground. Though they didn't plan to be at Lakemist long, he had brought all of the essentials: Vasilis, his emergency kit, a sleeping bag, and, at his mom's insistence, a change of clothes.

After he shed his pack, Seth discovered he could stand up straight and still have a few inches between his head and the ceiling. Even though he could have sworn they would only fit with difficulty, there was plenty of room to spread out. The far wall was about ten feet away.

Trask followed him inside. "It _is_ bigger than it looks," he said. "Makes finding accommodations a lot less difficult."

"Where was _this_ when we were at Wyrmroost?" asked Seth, remembering spending at least one night out in the open.

"Melanie's personal tent," Trask explained. "Besides, it's hard to pack up in a hurry."

"But what if we have to leave in a rush?" Seth asked. Supposedly their enemies knew where the Sword of Justice was and could possibly be right behind them.

"We got here early enough, and hopefully we'll be able to leave soon enough that we won't be under pressure," said Trask.

Tanu entered the tent and deposited his bag in a corner. "We'd better hurry up, then," he said. The three exited, letting Mara and Melanie go in to drop their gear.

"Let's see this lake," Trask said to Sarah. She led them off into the trees behind the cottage, following another overgrown path that looked like it had seen better days.

After only a few minutes of walking, Seth was surprised to find water lapping at the toes of his boots. He looked up to see what they had exited the forest and were standing on the shore of a massive lake. Seth could see how Lakemist preserve got its name: despite the fact that it was nearly noon, a thick cloud of mist shrouded the center of the lake. Even if the air had been clear, he doubted he could see the far side.

"Naiads, eh?" asked Tanu.

'We also have some typical fish, trout and a few others," replied Sarah.

"They coexist with the magical creatures?" Trask asked, surprised.

"No, we have barriers keeping the magical creatures and the nonmagical creatures separate," Sarah explained. "Ordinary fish can overlap with the naiads and the others if they want to, but they're not especially fond of each other."

"How big, exactly, is the lake?" inquired Mara.

"Oh, about a hundred or so square kilometers," Sarah answered.

Seth was getting an idea. Massive lake that took up most of the preserve, its center hidden by mist – it was perfect. "Where do you think the artifact is?" he asked.

"Me?" Sarah seemed startled by his question. "I don't know. You're the Knights. Surely this is your area of expertise."

"Just your opinion," said Seth. "You probably know this preserve much better than we do."

"Well, I would put the artifact in the middle of the lake," she decided, "right where the hydra has its den. Maybe bury it. Or maybe even have a whole underground chamber full of traps and other obstacles…" She trailed off, speculating.

"Wait," Trask said. "You have a _dragon…_ in your _lake?_"

"A young one," Sarah replied. "Agad, the great wizard, brought it here when he came to hide the artifact. That's mainly why I think it's hidden in the lake – why else would anyone bother bringing a hydra here?"

"But in the _lake_," Trask repeated. "That's practically out in the open."

"Oh, it's bound by all sorts of protective spells," Sarah assured him. "It has about a ten-square-kilometer area where it can live and hunt."

"Does it have any weaknesses?" wondered Trask aloud. Seth guessed he was forming a strategy to get to the artifact based on what they knew so far.

"Not that I know of. Do I look like the kind of person to confront a hydra?" Sarah asked incredulously. "Anyway, there's no point. You wouldn't get past it, and even if you did, I have the key to the vault. I won't have you risking your lives to inspect the security of an artifact. Honestly, if it's in the lake, it's safe."

"If you say so," Trask said, letting the topic drop. But Seth knew it would come back later, the first chance the Knights had to speak privately.

That first chance came that night after dinner. Seth, Tanu, Trask, Mara, and Melanie sat in a circle inside their tent, discussing the location of the artifact.

"The lake makes the most senses," said Tanu. "The hydra provides outside protection and they can easily have a network of puzzles beneath the lake." The others nodded in agreement.

Melanie groaned and put her head in her hands. "A hydra – we may as well give up our mission now," she muttered.

"It's not entirely hopeless," said Mara. "We dealt with a hydra at Wyrmroost."

"Yeah, it was the first guardian of the Dragon Temple," Seth said, recalling their trip to the dragon sanctuary.

Melanie's eyes widened. "How on Earth did you get past it?" she asked in awe.

"When we went in we didn't really have to deal with it," Seth admitted. The hydra had been intended more to keep them inside the temple than outside. "One the way back Gavin attacked it with a spear–" He broke off, remembering that Gavin Rose was actually Navarog, a demon prince, and that he had slain the hydra in dragon form. "Well, he finished it off as a dragon. But a spear would be a good start. I think he confused the heads that way, and that helped." He refrained from mentioning that even as a dragon, the outcome had looked uncertain for Gavin for a time.

"We brought spears," said Trask, pulling one out of his bag.

"Can I see that?" asked Melanie. Trask passed it to her and she examined it closely. After a few seconds she whistled softly. "Tipped with adamant? Impressive." Lifting the spear with one hand to test its weight, she added, "This is best suited for throwing. That's good. It means we can attack the hydra from a distance."

"How many do you think we'll need?" Tanu wondered.

"Everyone who can use a spear should have one," said Mara. "In fact, we should all have two, in case we lose one."

"I'm not very good at throwing these," Seth said. "I'm more of a close-up combat kind of guy."

"Hopefully there'll be no need for that," said Trask. Seth agreed – he didn't want to get closer to a dragon than strictly necessary.

"We may have to fight something inside the vault," Mara pointed out. "Seth should carry Vasilis just in case."

"The rest of us aren't totally useless with swords and such," Tanu reminded her. "But we can't carry swords if we already have two spears strapped to our backs."

Mara thought for a moment. "Seth can carry the swords while we hold off the hydra," she decided. "Once we're inside we can redistribute weapons."

"_If_ we can get inside," Trask said. "None of this will do us any good if we don't have the key to the vault in the first place."

"There's no way Sarah will give us the key if she thinks we're going to go after the hydra," Seth said, remembering how she had been earlier in the day. "And the caretakers usually have it."

"I bet I could get it from her," Melanie said optimistically. "I'm her sister. I know where she's likely to hide stuff, especially something important like the key."

"Is that smart?" Seth asked cautiously. What Melanie was suggesting sounded suspiciously like stealing to him. It was downright sneaky at the least.

"It's a good idea," Melanie defended herself. "Tomorrow morning we tell her and Phil that the hydra is too great an obstacle and that we'll leave the next morning. Then, tomorrow night I'll grab the key and we can go after the artifact with Sarah none the wiser."

"There are too many holes in that plan," said Mara. "What if Sarah or Phil wakes up in the middle of the night and finds the key missing or the tent empty? What if the key changes shape, getting bigger or smaller after we use it? What if you get caught fetching the key or returning it?"

Melanie ignored her other doubts and only responded to her last question. "Do you have so little faith in me?" she asked. "I've been creeping around all my life!"

"I've hardly met you," Mara shot back.

"What if I slipped sleeping potions to the caretakers?" suggested Tanu, trying to break up the argument. "They'd sleep through the whole night."

"I think we should try it," Trask declared. "If the caretakers don't know the artifact is gone, they may spread the word that it was too heavily guarded for us to get through. Then our enemies can throw everything they have at an empty vault while we move the artifact to a safer place."

"And if one of us dies going after the artifact?" Mara asked bluntly. "How are we going to cover that up?

"We'll try not to die," said Trask. Clearly he had no better answer.

"What do you think, Seth?" Tanu asked.

Seth was surprised that they were asking his opinion. In the past he had been on missions with nights as a stowaway or because it was less safe for him not to go. Since he wasn't officially involved, and when he was involved he wasn't in charge, he wasn't a part of the decision-making process.

Now he was part of the team.  
"Let's do it," he said firmly. "No matter the risks, we can't afford to have the artifact fall into the wrong hands."

Seth, apparently, was the deciding vote. The argument broke up. The five dispersed and crawled into their sleeping bags.

No matter how hard he tried, how often he changed his position, Seth couldn't get to sleep. The next day they were going to face off against a dragon that even Navarog, the demon prince of dragons, had had a hard time defeating. It wasn't the kind of thought you wanted to have right before bed.

Instead he thought about _why_ he was doing this, why he was here, why he was going to confront a dragon. If their enemies got the Sword of Justice, they could strike down the Eternals and open the demon prison, indirectly killing everyone he loved. He had to do this for everyone who wanted to be there to help but couldn't. But more than that, he had to do it because it was the right thing to do.

If he died tomorrow, fighting the hydra or some other beast inside the vault, would it be all that bad? If he died for the greater good, wasn't that the best way to go?

The next morning Seth woke before dawn. It was dark inside the tent but the world outside was quiet in anticipation of the transition from night to day. He lay in his sleeping bag for a few moments, wondering if he was going to fall back asleep for an extra hour of rest. Then he reasoned that if he was awake enough to think this coherently, he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon.

Seth wasn't usually one to get nervous. He could endure a math test or an oral report or tryouts for a sport team. In the past when they went after an artifact or had a conflict with the Society of the Evening Star, he hadn't had an opportunity to get nervous since everything happened so quickly. But now he knew exactly what he was going to face and how deadly it was, and he'd had a full night to think about it. It was enough to put butterflies in anyone's stomach.

Deciding to enjoy the calm while it lasted, Seth quietly unzipped the tent and exited, noticing that Melanie's sleeping bag was also empty. If she wasn't with her sister, he knew exactly where she would be. He set off into the forest, retracing the path they'd followed the day before. He knew it wasn't exactly wise to be traipsing around in the forest in the semidarkness, but compared to a dragon, anything the preserve could throw at him seemed relatively harmless.

Within moments he came to the shore of the great lake. Melanie sat cross-legged on the grass, staring out at the still waters. Her lips moved silently as if she were making plans for their attack that night. She absently traced patterns on the ground with one hand.

"Guess the naiads aren't up this early," Seth commented. He found the motionless lake eerie. Though they hadn't seen any life forms the day before, at least the water had been _moving_, ripples washing up on the shore.

Melanie flinched at the sound of his voice, then relaxed as she realized it was only Seth. "It's like the calm before the storm," she said.

Something occurred to Seth that nobody had brought up the previous night. "How are we going to breathe?" he asked. "In the lake, I mean."

Melanie seemed to consider how to respond for a moment. She answered with a question of her own. "Do you remember how your sister and the other Knights made it to the vault at Lost Mesa?"

Seth was instantly suspicious. "How do you know about that?"

Melanie held up her hands to imply she was innocent. "Warren filled me in on what happened," she explained.

Not to be deterred so easily, Seth pressed, "You know Warren?"

Melanie nodded. "He's a fairly well-known field operative," she said. "I've run into him a couple of times here and there. We met most recently about a year ago and had an interesting discussion about secret preserves, how secret they really are and whether or not hiding the artifacts on them is a good idea." Taking the conversation in a different direction, she went on, "I personally think it is. This may surprise you, Seth, but it's very, very unusual for one as young as you to know so much. It might not seem like it, but most of the world – most of the Knights, even – are blissfully unaware of secret preserves and the artifacts. Oh, there are rumors they here, but nothing credible."

Seth decided he could trust her. "In response to your question, they climbed some waterfall of stairs – the Flooding Staircase or something," he said, trying to remember.

"The flooded stairs," Melanie corrected. "I'm almost certain there's something similar here. Not something as concrete as a trail or a flight of stairs, but a path that will take us to the bottom of the lake nonetheless. Phil mentioned a "Path of Belief" to me once in passing. It was just a myth, he said, but it is said that if one has dire need the Path will appear and escort them safely beneath the surface."

"I find that hard to believe," said Seth. "No air tanks, no magic charms? We just walk right in?"

"According to the rumors, it isn't quite so simple. One must _believe_ the Path of Belief exists to see it, hence the name. That is how whatever great spirit is governing this will decide if we are really in need."

"I see." This discussion was getting a little too philosophical for Seth. Sure, he had seen seemingly impossible things over the years, some almost as crazy as being able to breathe underwater, but he didn't think about the reasoning behind it all. Nor did he ever pause to wonder if there was some greater being running the show. He just accepted it and moved on.

The sky was beginning to lighten in the east. Melanie stood up and stretched. "We'd better get back before they start thinking I've kidnapped you like your poor sister," she joked.

"At least they all made it back safely," Seth said. "Something nasty might come up and grab me in the woods on the way back."

"Between you and me, we could probably fight it off," said Melanie optimistically. The two walked back to the tent.

At lunchtime that day Seth, Tanu, Trask, and Mara sat inside the tent eating cold sandwiches. They had spent the morning scoping out the perimeter of the lake, trying to determine the best place to enter the water. According to Phil, who had willingly supplied them with information, the lake was divided into concentric circles by magical barriers. Normal, nonmagical fish could swim throughout. Naiads were limited to a smaller area within that, giving the fish room to feed and breed safely, but allowing them to overlap. And, of course, the hydra lay at the center of the lake. Humans, Phil said, would be unaffected by the barriers and could go anywhere.

When they were almost done with their meal, Melanie came running into the tent holding a metal walking stick. Her whole body quivered with excitement. "I have good news," she said, stating the obvious. "Sarah has left the preserve and Phil won't care if we head into the lake. We can go after the artifact now!"

"And the key?" asked Tanu.

Melanie twirled the walking stick. "Got it."

Something about the key rang a bell in Seth's mind, but he couldn't place it.

"Is it wise to set out now?" asked Mara.

"I see no benefit in waiting until tonight," said Trask. "The sooner we can get the Sword the better."

Seth glanced at Melanie. How much did she know about the specific reason for their mission? But she showed no surprise at the mention of the Sword of Justice, so maybe she knew that it was the artifact hidden here.

"Let's head out," Tanu said. The five exited the tent, Melanie waving the key like a baton.

After a few minutes of walking through the forest, they halted at the edge of the water.

"Where exactly is this Path of Belief thingy?" Seth asked.

"We saw no sign of it when we scouted this morning," said Mara.

"It could be that it will only appear it we _believe_ it will appear, like Melanie said," suggested Tanu.

"Here," Melanie called softly. The others turned to see her standing up to her thighs in the lake several feet away from the shore. "Just will it into existence and follow me."

Trask, Tanu, and Mara waded out to join her. Seth took a few cautious steps into the water and paused. His feet sank slightly into the sand. Water trickled into his boots. It sure felt like he could drown in this lake. Then he remembered what Melanie had said about the Path. Doubting its existence wouldn't help anything. He closed his eyes and imagined that his next step would take him to something solid, like walking on the sidewalk. He stepped cautiously and his food connected with flat ground. Opening his eyes, Seth saw only sand beneath his feet, but he didn't sink as he had before. Another step yielded the same result. He could even feel his boots and socks drying out. Confidently, Seth marched into the suddenly dry lake.

**Author's Note:**

Yes, another chapter of all talk and no action. I promise, they're going after an artifact and they're going to have to fight a dragon – there _will_ be more excitement in the next chapter. As always, comments and critique are welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Kendra and Bracken stood on the dock at the pond surrounding the shrine to the Fairy Queen. Gratiana, in fairy form, perched on Kendra's shoulder. A rowboat floated on the water beside them. Kendra thought that the water looked deceptively still. "Are you sure the naiads won't bother us?" she asked uncertainly.

"They wouldn't dare drown a unicorn," Bracken assured her.

"That doesn't mean they won't rock the boat."

Bracken chuckled. "That's true. But they're under strict orders from Mother not to disturb those who want to visit the shrine. If we just went for a leisurely swim, that would be a different story."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kendra searched her feelings and found no warning against visiting the shrine, but she worried that after their recent encounter the Fairy Queen wouldn't be pleased to hear from her. Especially since she had turned down her offer and was back to beg the same favor not only for herself, but for five others.

"We should be fine," Bracken promised. "Really, this is just a precaution. Seth and the others will retrieve the Sword without an issue and we can put it somewhere more secure. The Eternals will be safe."

"Then why are we asking?"

"Hardly anyone has access to the Fairy Queen's realm, so you will be so much safer there – conceivably for the rest of eternity," Bracken replied. He put his arm around her reassuringly.

They stepped into the boat and Bracken took hold of the oars. He paddled with swift, sure strokes. As promised, they reached the island without incident. He helped her climb out. When Kendra stepped lightly onto the soft grass, she didn't disintegrate into dandelion seeds, so they were probably safe.

Kendra led the way to the tiny statuette of a fairy at the center of the island. A silver bowl sat at the fairy's feet, a small stream trickling into a shallow, reflective pool beside it. An aura of calm surrounded the shrine, and Kendra relaxed in spite of herself, breathing in sweet scents of honey, rain, flowers, and the ocean.

The two knelt before the statue. Immediately Kendra detected the presence of the Fairy Queen. _Welcome._ The word was not spoken, but she heard it clearly in her mind. _I did not expect to hear from you so soon. Have you reconsidered your decision?_

Kendra looked to Bracken, who nodded, indicating that she should speak. She took a deep breath and said, "Your majesty, I have a great favor to ask. We believe that the Eternals are in grave danger. We have already been captured once, and it was mainly because of luck that Warren wasn't captured, enabling him to lead others to our rescue. Our enemies may be seeking the Sword of Justice, the only weapon that can kill the Eternals. A team of Knights of the Dawn has also gone after the Sword, but we hope to further protect the Eternals."

_I understand your trouble and I hope to help you, since I intended for the demons to be sealed away for longer than a few years. However, I am not sure _how_ I may be of assistance, short of allowing the Eternals to seek refuge in my realm._

Kendra swallowed uncomfortably. 'I had hoped that maybe we would be allowed to shelter there. You said so yourself, there's no safer place for an Eternal." Bracken shot her a warning glance, but it was too late. A wave of fury washed over her. She struggled to remind herself that it was not her own emotions she was feeling. Apparently the Fairy Queen did not like having her own words thrown back at her.

_At the time you refused my generous offer, claiming that you did not want to leave your family,_ the Fairy Queen reminded her. _Have the circumstances changed so much?_

"Sort of," Kendra replied hesitantly. "I had just been kidnapped, and I had to let my parents know I was okay."

_So as soon as it suited you, you decided to invite not only yourself but five others to my realm? It was not an open-ended offer, Kendra._

She gulped. This was not going the way she had hoped it would. She decided to try one last time, "Your majesty, we must keep Zzyzx-"

The Fairy Queen cut her off. _Humans – mortal or otherwise – are not permitted in my realm. It must remain pure. You were the very rare exception to the rule, and I shall not make the exception again. _Kendra nearly found herself overwhelmed by the Queen's irritation with her, tainted with ager and a little bit of dismay, which she couldn't completely understand.

Then, without any formal sense of closure, the greater presence faded from the shrine. Their audience with the Fairy Queen was over.

A hint of red showed in Bracken's cheeks. "I'm sorry," he apologized fervently. "Mother has grown angry before, but never with those she considers allies."

"I think I really offended her," Kendra mumbled, looking down.

"We should leave," Bracken said. "We may have fallen out of favor with the Fairy Queen for a while." They began walking back to where they had left the rowboat.

"We?" Kendra asked, noting the plural.

"She is angry that I have sided with you on the matter of the Eternals, and hurt that I have elected to stay here until the crisis is over," he explained.

"Don't let me drive a wedge between you and your family," she protested.

"I have dwelt here for so long, I almost feel more comfortable here," Bracken said. "I felt out of place at home, even before, when I was working on rebuilding. Unicorns and fairies are very different creatures from humans. After centuries of constant activity and struggle, life felt empty in the Fairy Realm. For the time being, this is where I belong."

Kendra still felt uncomfortable. She felt sure that after their recent conversation with the Fairy Queen, Brynn would be more displeased than ever. But at the same time, she felt selfishly pleased. After three years of irregular visits, she could spend some quality time with Bracken.

She shoved her social issues to the side. They had a much more pressing issue. The Fairy Queen had denied their request for aid, so for the foreseeable future, the six Eternals would be staying at Fablehaven. If their enemies laid hands on the Sword of Justice, they could very easily come to the preserve and kill six birds with one stone – or sword, for that matter.

Seth wasn't sure what he had expected it to be like walking in the lake, but he was fairly certain this wasn't it. He wouldn't have guessed that it would be more or less the same as walking on dry land, and yet it was. He knew he was surrounded by water – he could see fish swimming in it, could feel ripples of it wash over him when it was stirred by creatures moving about. But to him it felt no different from walking on the surface. His clothes were dry, his hair was dry, and he could breathe normally.

Another surprise was the visibility. The water was as clear as polished glass, enabling Seth to see for several hundred feet in every direction. He could see Trask at the front of their group, one spear strapped to his back and the other grasped tightly in his right hand. Mara, Tanu, and Melanie followed him, each glancing around periodically to check for threats. Seth was supposed to be guarding the rear, but he felt more like a pack mule. So far they had seen nothing more threatening than a few skittish fish, but he was weighed down with everyone else's swords and daggers. Sure, _they_ could move and attack faster if unburdened, but did anyone think about how fast _he_ could move while carrying all their stuff? Still, he knew better than to complain, since it was better to play everyone's strengths, and he couldn't throw a spear accurately to save his life.

A large, gray-green fish swam in front of Seth. He reached out a hand to stroke it as it passed. Its scales were cool and smooth to the touch. Seth noticed another thing that felt off – though it was early autumn and not exactly swimming weather, the lake was no colder than the air above.

All in all, this was a very peculiar experience for Seth.

After about an hour of steadily descending deeper into the lake, Mara announced, "I think we're approaching the naiads' territory."

Seth paused and pulled Vasilis – encased in its sheath – out of his pack. He hoped he wouldn't need a sword, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Glancing ahead at the others, he noted that they had shifted their spears to offensive positions. Though naiads were not evil creatures by nature, they frequently drowned unfortunate humans for sport.

A wave of water washed over him, stronger than the little ripples before. He suspected it was the magical barrier separating normal fish from the magical creatures. Glancing around, he saw nothing different about the landscape. Same sand, same seaweed, same periodic rock formations, same fish. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Then, seemingly from nowhere, a cold, slimy _something_ wrapped around his sword arm, jerking him backward. Seth stumbled and fell over. Whatever had grabbed him took advantage of his unbalance and started pulling him away. He twisted wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of his enemy. He felt his feet leave the ground and suddenly he was being carried upward through the water.

For a moment he wondered what kind of creature could fly underwater. Then he remembered that while they were walking and breathing as if on solid ground with air surrounding them, other creatures were still swimming around normally.

Seth realized something else – he had left the Path of Belief! He was going to drown! He redoubled his attempts to free himself, immediately feeling the water around him, soaking his clothes. How long could he hold his breath? A minute? Two? He dared not call for help, trying to conserve his precious oxygen supply. And if he was no longer on the Path, would sound even carry?

Abruptly, the pressure on his arm lessened. Seth found he could turn around and did so. He discovered a golden tentacle wrapped partially around his wrist and the hilt of his sword, which he ripped away, disgusted. Realizing that the tentacle must have been attached to something, he looked around and saw Trask battling the largest squid he had ever seen.

Seth knew immediately that this was no ordinary squid. Dozens of shiny tentacles extended from its gold-colored body, reaching in all directions. As he watched, Trask severed one tentacle with his spear, leaving behind a bloody stump. Several other such stumps were visible for a short time, but the wounds quickly closed and more tentacles began to regrow.

How much air did he have left? He estimated he had been off the Path for at least thirty seconds. The ground lay about ten feet beneath him, but swimming down was much harder than swimming up. Still, he had to try.

Trask threw his spear and pierced one of the squid's gigantic eyeballs. The squid let out a bellow of pain. The momentary distraction was enough to allow the Knight a few seconds to swim away, toward Seth. As soon as Trask reached him, he grabbed Seth's arm, closed his eyes, and seemed to concentrate for a few seconds. Seth was beginning to panic – surely he only had a few moments left – when suddenly the water seemed to vanish, though Seth could still see it surrounding them. Their clothes dried, and they plummeted to the bottom of the lake. It was like falling onto concrete from ten feet above. Seth landed awkwardly beside Trask and lurched to one side, but at least nothing seemed broken. He greedily gulped in air, or whatever they were breathing down here.

But they weren't safe yet. The squid descended slowly but steadily above them, determined not to be cheated out of its meal. It showed no sign of injury, and, if anything, appeared to have more tentacles than before. Trask took off running toward Melanie, Mara, and Tanu, who stood several yards ahead of them. Seth dashed after him. By the time they caught up with the others, they were running, too.

"What is that thing?" gasped Melanie.

Tanu shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it," he replied.

"Seth, toss me a sword," ordered Trask. "Spears aren't much good for chopping off tentacles." Seth obliged, pulling Trask's blade from his pack and handing it to the Knight, noticing as he did so that Trask was down to his last spear. He also passed weapons to Mara and Tanu, who accepted them, switching their spears to their opposite hands. Melanie shook her head when he offered, her hands full with the key and one of her spears.

They appeared to be outrunning the squid, gradually increasing the distance between it and them. The squid seemed to realize it, too, and turned around as if giving up the chase. For a moment Seth thought they were safe, but then he noticed the tentacles fanning out around a center point, muscles in the squid's body tensing.

"Get down!" he shouted. He grabbed Melanie by the elbow and dragged her down as he hit the ground. Trask, Tanu, and Mara dropped beside them just as the squid released a jet of dark liquid that soared over their heads. Disappointed that its prey had evaded it, the squid swam away.

After waiting a few seconds to make sure it was really safe, the five cautiously sat up. "Good thinking, Seth," Trask praised him.

"Anyone get hit?" asked Tanu, already pulling potions and containers of salve from his pouch.

"Some dripped on my back," Mara answered. Tanu walked over to examine her.

"Looks like it burned you pretty good. Doesn't seem to be poisonous, though," he diagnosed. He began to apply some salve, Mara wincing periodically as it stung.

Seth stood up and shouldered his backpack. Some of the ink, or whatever the squid had sprayed at them, had landed on it, but it was in decent shape.

They took a brief inventory before continuing. The others returned their swords to Seth – all of them remained intact. Trask had lost one of his spears rescuing Seth from the squid. Tanu had dropped one while they were running. Melanie still had one spear strapped to her back and the other in her hand; she retained the key as well. Mara seemed to have been hit the hardest; the spear strapped to her back had been doused with squid ink and burnt to a crsip. The shaft of the other had snapped in two when she hit the ground.

Mara twirled the half of her spear with the point attached. "I guess I can use it as a dagger," she said.

"We should keep moving," Trask urged. "Mara, how close are we to the center of the lake?"

Mara closed her eyes to get her bearings. "We should have a good half hour to go yet. The hydra's territory is the smallest of the three, so the border is still a decent distance away."

They began to jog. Seth was starting to grow tired, his early morning finally catching up with him. He hadn't been in the best shape to begin with, though. When they were still fighting the Society of the Evening Star, he had worked out often to be in good condition if he was suddenly needed for a mission. In the past three years, however, he had slacked off a little. He was relieved when Mara called for a break about forty-five minutes later.

"We're about to enter the hydra's territory, so this will be our last chance to rest for a while," she explained.

They had had the foresight to pack a couple of meals before entering the lake, so Tanu pulled sandwiches and bottled water out of his backpack. As Seth wolfed down his food and gulped his water, he reflected on how weird it was to be standing on the bottom of a lake, surrounded by fresh water, but to be drinking it out of a bottle.

The pause for food restored Seth's energy. He could tell the others felt the same way; they jogged with new purpose, gradually increasing their pace. Before long, Seth felt the strong ripple of water signifying crossing into another territory.

As they exited the naiads' territory, the mood shifted. They still walked briskly, but it was with more urgency than excitement. They glanced around frequently to ensure that the hydra wouldn't creep up on them from behind. Tanu and Mara shifted their positions to protect the sides of the group. Melanie remained at the center, clutching the key.

The landscape began to change as they progressed. Rock formations became more frequent, jutting out of the ground and towering over their heads. Several were large enough to hide a dragon. Even the ground grew rockier beneath their feet, making it easier to trip. Seth listened for the telltale sounds of claws on stone, but then wondered if they would be able to hear the hydra approach underwater. Maybe it preferred to swim silently and they wouldn't be able to detect it until it was too late.

During their walk through the lake, Seth had been dimly aware of the water growing darker. At first it had happened so gradually that when his eyes adjusted slightly he could still see fairly well. Now, at the deepest part of the lake, it was nearly as dark as it had been with Seth got up that morning. He suspected it was partly because they were deep in the lake and not much sunlight reached here from the surface, but also because daylight was fading above. They needed to get into the vault quickly, before they were forced to confront the hydra in total darkness.

After another quarter hour of walking, they approached a circular wall of stone several hundred feet high. As they circled it, Seth estimated that it was nearly as far around as it was tall. He guessed this was where the hydra kept its den. He became surer of his suspicions when Mara announced that they were at the exact center of the lake.

They found a gap about three feet wide on the far side of the wall. It was too dark to tell what waited inside. Trask regarded the opening apprehensively. "I don't like the idea of fighting the hydra in such an enclosed space," he muttered.

"We don't have much choice. The hydra surely won't fit through the gap," Mara pointed out.

"But then how could it get out to hunt?" wondered Seth.

"There's almost certainly an opening in the top," said Tanu. "Hydras must come up for air every few hours.

"Let's not procrastinate any longer," said Melanie. "These are the conditions we'll have to put up with. It's not going to get any better – or lighter, for that matter."

The reminder of the rapidly fading daylight spurred them to action. They passed through the wall single file, Trask at the front followed by Melanie with the key. It was even darker inside; Seth could hardly see Tanu standing in front of him. Finally he remembered his new ability as a shadow charmer and blinked once, throwing the room into focus. It wasn't quite as convenient as Kendra being able to see in the dark automatically, but given the circumstances, he wasn't going to complain.

The room was vast, far larger than Seth would have expected from their walk around the perimeter. A couple of football fields would fit with room to spare. The hydra's den may have been enclosed, but they would have plenty of room to maneuver.

"I can't see anything at all," Melanie whispered. Tanu, Mara, and Trask murmured agreement.

"From the sound of the echoes our footsteps make, I can tell that the cavern is large and mostly empty," said Mara.

"Seth, you can see in the dark," said Trask. "Is there anything in here?"

Seth shook his head before remembering that Trask couldn't see him. "No, it's just us," he replied. "Wait – there's some platform in the middle."

"That's a likely place for a keyhole," Tanu said. "Seth, you'll be our eyes – lead us there."

"Take the hand of the person in front of you. Don't separate," Mara instructed.

Seth grabbed Melanie's hand with the key, the cold metal rod pressed between their palms. The five walked as an unsteady human chain toward the platform. He stepped up when they reached it, forgetting the others couldn't see it until Melanie's foot collided with it and she stumbled.

"Sorry," he muttered, helping her up. He warned the others, "You're going to have to step up a bit here."

They joined him on the platform. "Do you see a place to put the key anywhere?" asked Tanu.

Seth surveyed the platform and spotted a dent right where he expected one to be – in the center. "Here," he said, taking Melanie by the arm and guiding her to it. Melanie inserted the key into the hole, leaving only the first few inches of it sticking out. She twisted it experimentally and the key turned, resulting in a loud click of gears sliding into place. Melanie pulled it out and ran her hand along it. Seth thought it looked slightly different but couldn't place it until she said, "It's smooth. And flexible. And – oh!" she had discovered a length of string newly attached to it. Melanie pulled the string back, carefully bending the key. "It's like a longbow."

"No arrows?" Trask asked.

"No. We-" Melanie's response was cut off by an earsplitting roar from overhead. Apparently the hydra _could_ be heard underwater. It descended upon them with ferocious speed, all of its heads growling in harmony.

The five leapt in opposite directions. Seth rolled to the side, stood up, and pulled Vasilis in its sheath in his belt. Instantly the blade burst into bright red flames, illuminating the cavern. His companions blinked in the sudden light but immediately used it to their advantage. As the hydra pulled out of its dive, landing lightly on the ground, Trask and Tanu ran in front of it, waving their spears and feinting repeatedly to confuse the heads. It seemed to be working – two of the heads made a grab for Tanu but instead collided with each other. Mara charged the hydra straight on, attracting the attention of a third hen, which shot in her direction. Melanie ran after Mara, yet another of the hydra's heads tracking her movements. Mara turned a cartwheel at the last second, hurling her makeshift dagger at a head attacking Trask. Melanie blew past her. The two heads, moving in response to their prey, followed the girls' evasive maneuvers and twined their necks together.

Seth realized that his flaming sword had turned him into a beacon and a clear target. One of the heads made a beeline for him, snaking around other heads locked in combat to reach him. It moved far faster than Seth would have guessed it could. Acting more out of instinct than anything else, he slashed upward with Vasilis, his sword guarding his arm to hit its mark. Steel sliced through scales and flesh, opening a gaping wound in the head's neck. Scarlet flames spread from the injury, devouring everything in their path.

Seth backed off slightly and watched the battle intently from a distance. His friends fought valiantly, but they couldn't hold it off forever. Eventually one of the heads – or perhaps one of its claws, since they seemed to have forgotten the danger of the hydra's other limbs, distracted as they were by its heads – would get in a lucky hit, and the likelihood of success would plummet.

He compared this dragon to the one they had seen at Wyrmroost. Gavin had said that the hydra they encountered in the Dragon Temple was old, enlisted as a guard dog for thousands of years, and it had certainly looked it. A few of the heads had seemed diseased, decaying, some of them hanging limp. This hydra, on the other hand, appeared to be young and full of energy. They could never outlast it – they would have to outwit it or get extremely lucky.

He observed the heads for a while, wondering if one of them had a weakness. He noticed several times that a head would be so intent on its prey that it would wrap its neck around another's, or run into another head. Seth guessed that because the dragon was young, it was overly confident in its strength and didn't spend much time perfecting its technique, which was how the others were able to dance around it so easily.

But for every weakness he saw, Seth also witnessed one of the hydra's amazing advantages. The heads whirled around so rapidly that watching the hydra for too long made him dizzy. It was impossible to outpace them; one head tailed Melanie, nearly catching her before she leaped sideways, forcing it to change direction. Seth watched Trask hurl a perfectly aimed spear at one of the heads. It should have taken out one of its eyes, but the head changed position at the last second and caught the spear vertically in its mouth. The jaws snapped shut, shattering the spear into splinters.

The hydra it was fast. It was strong. But most importantly, it didn't seem to be tiring. Trask sprinted past Seth, breathing heavily, while one of the heads pursued him with renewed vigor. They needed to end this before they collapsed of sheer exhaustion.

One of the heads didn't appear to want to join the struggle. It set itself back from its brothers, watching the battle from a distance as Seth did. Around its neck it wore a simple necklace with an arrow-shaped charm attached, which gave it an air of importance.

Seth immediately knew that in order to win, they would have to kill that head.

He approached Trask, who was taking a breather out of the hydra's line of sight. Indicating the head with the necklace, he said, "I think we have to get rid of that one."

Trask scrutinized the head in question. "You may be right," he said slowly. Seth could practically see an idea forming in his head as he strategized. "We need to regroup, but we can't all stop fighting. The hydra would get us easily."

"If you and I come up with a strategy, I can spread the word, since I'm not much use against the hydra anyway," Seth suggested.

Trask nodded. "Spears won't be any good," he mused. "We can annoy it, confuse it, sure – that's what we were going for at the Dragon Temple, just a distraction – but taking out an eye won't put it out of commission."

"I think decapitating it is our best bet," said Seth.

He could tell Trask was doubtful. "But how-"

Something flashed in Seth's peripheral vision. Without hesitation he yelled, "Look out!" and dove sideways. Trask leaped after him just as one of the hydra's heads closed its mouth around empty air where they had been standing only a second before.

As Seth brandished Vasilis threateningly, Trask pulled a dagger, his only remaining weapon, from a pouch on his belt. There was no time for Seth to get a sword out of his pack. "Talk to the others," Trask hissed hurriedly to Seth. "Make a plan. But don't stay in one place for too long. Your sword makes you too visible."

Seth nodded and dashed sideways, waving Vasilis madly to catch the head's attention. It worked; the hydra's head followed him at an astonishing rate. He ran so fast he thought his lungs would burst and his legs would give out. Then behind him he heard a strangled choking noise. He skidded to a halt and glanced back. The hydra's head had reached the end of its rope, its neck stretched out as far as it could go. Trask, who had been chasing after the head, jumped up and buried his dagger up to the hilt in its side. The head's eyes rolled back and Trask removed his dagger. Dark red blood dripped from the blade.

"Go," he ordered Seth.

Seth ran away. Ideally he wanted to find a place in the shadows to think, since as a shadow charmer he would blend in, but since he was carrying their only light source, that wasn't likely to happen. He scanned the cavern to see which of his friends was in the best position to have a short conversation. Spotting Tanu leaning on his spear, taking a short break, Seth hurried up to him and rapidly explained their ideas.

Tanu squinted up at the head with the necklace. "We'll have a hard time getting up there," he said doubtfully. "I'm certainly not agile enough, and even if I was, I don't think _anyone_ could jump high enough to reach it. Talk to one of the girls. One of them may have an idea." He picked up his spear and shouted to the hydra, "Hey, you! Down here!"

Two heads tormenting Mara turned to face Tanu instead. Seth jogged up to Mara and relayed what he, Tanu, and Trask had figured out. She seemed more optimistic than Tanu. She said thoughtfully, "If someone could distract that head, I could climb up – no?"

Seth was already shaking his head. It was a good idea, and brave, and it would have a chance of working, except for the hydra's other heads. "You'd just get picked off by one of the others," he explained.

Mara sighed. "Fine, go talk to Melanie and see if she has a better idea," she muttered. "But first, could I have my sword from your pack? I'm out of weapons."

He quickly handed Mara her sword, a short blade tipped with adamant like the spears. He headed toward Melanie, slightly mystified. What was Mara's issue with her? Melanie hadn't been anything but helpful.

Melanie was keeping the head that was focused on her confused by waving her spear and the key in front of its face, switching hands and directions. It couldn't tell which the weapon was and which wasn't. Seth spoke to her cautiously, trying not to distract her.

After Seth explained their ideas, he could almost see a light bulb switch on above Melanie's head. "Seth, could you lend me a sword?" she asked.

He pulled a sheathed blade out of his backpack. He had never seen it before, and he was sure he would have remembered its brilliant golden hilt with a silver design in the shape of a crescent moon. It felt surprisingly lightweight. "Is this yours?"

Melanie hesitated for the tiniest fraction of a second before accepting the sword. "Yes, thank you."

Without another word, Melanie attached the sheath to her belt, turned away from Seth, faced the hydra head, and jumped into the air (or was it water?), higher than he would have thought possible. And she kept ascending slowly, until she was five feet off the ground. Then she kicked her legs and turned her arms in rhythmic arcs, almost like she was swimming. Then Seth realized she _was_ swimming! Melanie had known they wouldn't be able to even touch the head from the ground, so she had left the Path of belief and was swimming up, up, up toward the head.

Her idea was brilliant, but Seth knew from experience how hard it was to move quickly underwater; it was much slower than walking on land. Melanie could reach the head this way, but she would be extremely vulnerable.

Already the hydra head Melanie had been fighting before had recovered from its surprise and redirected itself, about to chase her. Seth raised Vasilis and slashed at the thick, scaly neck. The hydra seemed to sense his motion, though, and whipped out of the way. Seth's sword sliced through skin, but it was a glancing blow, no more than an annoyance. The head shook itself, extinguishing the red flames before they had a chance to spread. Still, it had caught its attention, which was what Seth had wanted.

The head lashed out without warning. Seth rolled to the side and the snapping jaws missed, but only by inches. He stood up immediately and thrust upward with Vasilis, hoping to catch it by surprise, but the head retreated several feet, dodging the flaming blade. It returned the attack without hesitation, hardly giving Seth time to recover. The head rocketed toward him, jaws open wide. Seth held up his sword in an act of desperation. It wasn't much as far as defensive maneuvers go, but it forced the hydra to change direction.

The hydra attacked again. Seth sidestepped and swung Vasilis at the head as it pulled back. It tried to raise itself above the reach of the sword, but Vasilis scraped its more vulnerable underside. Bellowing with rage, the head attacked with a different tactic. It aimed the slightest degree more to the right, so when Seth lurched sideways, the head collided with Seth's sword arm and sent Vasilis flying. The cavern instantly went dark. Seth rubbed his aching wrist and blinked to bring the room into clarity. He saw the hydra head looming over him, mouth open wide, prepared to deliver the killing blow.

Seth cursed himself for being so stupid. With Zzyzx closed, he had gotten lazy and not bothered practicing fighting techniques very much. He had reasoned that if he _did_ need to something, sword fighting was just like riding a bike: you never forgot. But it wasn't, not really; he remembered the moves and the tactics, but his body just wasn't used to the energy required.

Above him, the hydra head shuddered.

Seth stared up at it. Why wasn't it attacking?

It quivered once again, then collapsed to the ground in front of him. Seth prodded it carefully with his foot; it sure looked dead. That could only mean one thing.

His suspicions were confirmed when Melanie yelled out triumphantly, "I got it!"

Seth turned away to see the others hurrying toward her. Melanie clutched the necklace, bouncing up and down like a child on Christmas morning. He joined them.

"I didn't even touch it with my sword," Melanie said. "As soon as I grabbed the necklace, it just collapsed."

"So the objective must have been to get the necklace," guessed Trask.

"But why?" Melanie wondered aloud.

"Maybe the charm is a key of some sort," suggested Mara.

Melanie broke the chain and removed the charm. Up close, Seth could see it wasn't an arrow-shaped trinket, it was actually an arrow. He sensed the arrow would play a key role in their mission – why else would the hydra have collapsed as soon as Melanie took it?

"Anyone have a quiver?" Melanie asked.

They glanced at each other and shook their heads. No one had thought to bring a bow and arrows. It may have been useful to have them, Seth thought, remembering that Gavin had also used a crossbow to fight the hydra at Wyrmroost. But they had fared well enough without them.

Melanie passed the key to Seth and removed her sword from its sheath. Using her belt, she strapped her sheath to her back and put the arrow inside – a makeshift quiver. Seth returned the key to her.

"So what now?" he asked. They hadn't really planned anything beyond fighting the hydra.

"I assume that the hydra was the guardian of the vault," Trask said. "Now that we have defeated it, a doorway has probably opened somewhere."

"Unless the arrow itself is the artifact," said Melanie.

Trask shook his head, dismissing the idea. "None of the five I have seen look like an arrow." His words left the unspoken implication that it probably wasn't the Sword of Justice, either.

"Seth, do you see a door anywhere?" Mara asked.

"Oh, right," said Seth. He had forgotten that the others couldn't see in the dark. He quickly fetched Vasilis from where it had been knocked by the hydra's attack. As soon as he grasped the hilt, the sword seemed to hum to life in his hands, shedding a soft white light. He returned to the others, holding Vasilis high to illuminate as much of the cavern as possible.

"Spread out and look around, but don't get overconfident. Other dangers may still be lurking," Trask warned.

The group dispersed, heading off in different directions to look for a door. Seth trailed along a wall, scanning the rocky surface for gaps and openings. He worried that the door would be hidden by a distracter spell. They usually had Kendra with them to bypass such magic, but Grandpa had forbidden any of the Eternals from going, no matter how useful they could be. Without his sister, they could search the cavern for years and never find the door if it was hidden.

Fortunately, the door to the vault was out in the open. "Over here!" Mara called after a few minutes of searching.

They regrouped in the center of the room on the platform where the keyhole had been. Now a gaping hole had opened in the floor, revealing a flight of stairs leading down into darkness.

Before they entered the hole, Trask gave a few words of advice. "We don't know what we'll find down there," he said, "but we need to be prepared for anything. Take your sword from Seth if you haven't already. If you still have a spear, keep it handy. I trust everyone has a dagger of some sort in case you need to get up close." Seth distributed the remaining weapons, making his pack much lighter. "Seth will go first to light our way. Tanu will follow, since he still has a spear and thus can attack from a distance. Melanie next, with the key. Then Mara. I will guard our rear. Keep your wits about you. Let's go."

They marched down the steps single file.

At some point, Seth became aware that they were no longer underwater. He wasn't quite sure how or when it happened; he just realized after a few moments that his lungs were taking in air – real, honest-to-goodness air. It felt different from walking on the Path of Belief.

Seth wasn't sure how long they walked. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. The light cast by Vasilis revealed nothing more than the unchanging stone walls on either side of them and the identical stone steps beneath their feet. Time ceased to have meaning as they trudged along, descending deeper into the earth. Or maybe they were going upward but didn't know it. The laws of reality didn't apply in the vault.

Eventually the steps bottomed out and they reached a ledge overlooking a network of walls and corridors. Seth was puzzled by this until he put the pieces together and realized they were looking down on a vast maze. He was instantly glad they had Mara with them; she had helped them navigate the vault at Obsidian Waste.

Trask peered over the ledge. "It's about eight feet to the ground," he reported.

Tanu took a deep breath. "Magical maze filled with traps and who knows what else. This should be fun."

"Wait, before we go in," Melanie said. "I'm going to make a map."

"A map?" Mara repeated incredulously. "That won't do us any good in there."

"Just trust me." Melanie pulled paper and a pen – which had miraculously stayed dry in the lake – from her backpack and began a rough sketch of the maze. "You can see the whole thing from here."

"It's an illusion," said Mara confidently. "They're intentionally trying to throw us off track."

"Humor me," Melanie insisted. "It may be helpful."

"Whatever, go ahead," said Trask. Seth could tell he was doubtful, but had decided to indulge her.

Within minutes Melanie finished her map. Seth wasn't sure how much use it would be, but it seemed to be accurate down to the slightest detail, so if the maze behaved like normal mazes did, they would be able to navigate fairly easily.

Seth climbed over the rim of the ledge and hung by his hands for a few seconds before dropping the last few feet. He braced himself for what was ahead. By a small miracle they had survived the hydra, but Seth compared the revenant in the grove to what had actually lain within the Inverted Tower, and knew the worst was yet to come.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Seth hated mazes.

He hadn't always. As kids, he and the neighborhood boys and played freeze tag in the park's topiary maze. The hedges were so high that you couldn't see over them and that added to the excitement. You had no idea if the person coming around the corner was a friend or foe. Seth had surprised many people that way and had been caught off guard himself in turn, but it was fun. Back then, it was all a game.

Then, three years ago, they had traveled to Obsidian Waste preserve in Australia in search of the Translocator. Inside the great obelisk that served as a vault, they had encountered an impossible maze that would lead them to a dead end and then, when they turned around, to a different dead end. And then the dreadful moment came when they stood at an intersection and Mara announced that taking any of the three passageways offered would result in a series of loops that would take them back to the same intersection. For a split second, Seth had feared that they would never be able to find their way out of the maze. But then Kendra had her brilliant idea of backtracking at an intersection instead of a dead end and they got out. Still, the thought of facing another enchanted maze sent shivers down Seth's spine.

Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, the soft glow Vasilis had been emitting vanished and plunged them into darkness.

Seth blinked and his night vision clicked into effect. He saw that the others had stopped walking.

"Seth, are you all right?" Melanie asked cautiously. She shifted her stance, slipping into a battle-ready position.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "The light just went out. I don't know why."

"The wizards sure were trying to make this difficult for us," muttered Tanu.

They resumed walking. Mara joined Seth at the front, which made him glad. He was the only one who could see in the dark, but he couldn't navigate to save his life, so Melanie's map was now useless. Of the five of them, Mara was the best at remaining oriented.

After a few minutes Mara halted and called out, "Stop. Something's wrong."

Trask frowned. "Mara?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"I can't walk forward," Mara said. "My muscles won't respond. No pain or anything. Just total lack of response."

Tanu rummaged in his potion pouch, probably looking for a remedy. "Is it only in your legs?" he asked.

Mara twisted her torso and stretched her arms. "Yes," she replied.

"Wait," said Seth. He had drawn even with Mara and was experiencing the same thing. He waved his free hand in front of his knees; there was no physical obstacle. "Come check this out."

The others approached the invisible boundary line and stopped beside Seth and Mara. They were clearly puzzled by it.

"It's not a magical _barrier_," muttered Tanu. "My legs simply refuse to move."

"If we can't go forward, how will we get through the maze?" asked Melanie, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Maybe we have to crawl along the top of the walls?" Seth suggested.

"It's impossible to get up there from here," said Trask. He was right; the walls of the maze towered above them, somehow seeming taller than they had from the ledge.

"There must be some way," Mara murmured, almost to herself. "If it were impossible to get one of the artifacts, Zzyzx would collapse. No prison can stay closed forever."

"Just for several millennia," said Tanu.

Seth detached himself from the discussion. Wondering if they would be able to return to the ledge, he took a step backward – or rather, he _tried_ to step backward. Instead, his legs carried him forward. "Whoa," he exclaimed.

"Hey," he called to the others, "I may have figured this out. I tried to go back, just in case we have to retreat, but I went forward instead."

"Is it like a minor distracter spell, where you have to think about what you're doing indirectly?" asked Tanu.

"I don't think so," Seth replied. He thought for a moment, then continued, "I just told my legs to go backward, like walking normally." He took another backward step, advancing another couple feet. The others followed him, hesitantly at first, but then more confidently as they got used to it.

"Interesting. I wonder…" Tanu trailed off, lost in thought. He took a step to his right, nearly knocking Melanie over. He apologized to her and said to the group at large, "It seems that direction has been inverted in our legs. You tell your body to move one way and it goes the opposite. A limited enchantment, but powerful."

They proceeded in this way for another half hour or so. It was disorienting, and sometimes Seth would forget and end up taking a step backward. Corners were especially tricky, since one usually turns on an angel. Seth had to take a step backward and a little to the left to make a right turn. More than once he smacked into a wall. As they progressed, though, everyone became more accurate and they were able to move faster.

As they rounded yet another corner (they were walking at random, Mara directing them with the best she could remember of Melanie's map), Seth realized it was absurd to keep holding Vasilis. His sword arm was getting tired, it wasn't providing any light, and he could easily pull it out again if he needed it. Once he sheathed the blade, the area around them was suddenly lit by a soft glow, as it had been before they entered the maze. Seth realized the sheath strapped to his belt was giving off the light.

The others blinked and paused, startled. The glow was not particularly bright, but compared to pitch blackness, it was like someone had turned on the sun. Once they recovered from the shock, Mara immediately consulted the map and Trask moved to examine Seth's luminous sheath.

"This happened as soon as you put your sword away?" Trask inquired.

"Yeah, I think so," Seth replied.

Trask looked at the sheath for a moment longer, and then shrugged as if he couldn't think of an explanation. "I suppose direction isn't the only thing reversed here. Let's not waste too much time puzzling over it and get moving."

Mara rolled up the map and reported that in a few turns they would reach an open area. Seth interpreted that as they were about to face their first enemy within the maze and kept his right hand near Vasilis's hilt.

They rounded a corner and entered, as Mara had predicted, a circular, open area at least twice the width of the passageway. In the center a bird with feathers the color of fire and a beak to match perched on a rock and watched the five with curious eyes. Seth guessed it would only come up to his knee, but he wouldn't let its size deceive him. Its curved talons could probably inflict some nasty wounds, as well as its beak that narrowed to a point as sharp as any of their swords. And despite the fact that it was a danger to them and that they needed to get past it to get the Sword of Justice, the bird looked almost… pitiful. Its feathers were ruffled and matted and one wing was bent at an odd angle. As it spotted the five Knights, it let out a hoarse groan. It limped halfheartedly toward them but collapsed after a few steps.

"Do we have to fight that?" Seth whispered. He felt a little bad for the poor bird.

"I think so," Melanie replied softly. "See the charm around its neck?"

Seth noticed the white, beaded necklace the bird was wearing for the first time. It was identical to the one Melanie had pulled off of the hydra, which made it extremely out of proportion with the bird. He marveled that it stayed on its neck at all. The arrowhead scraped against the ground as the bird moved, the charm's comparative bulk making it even harder for it to stumble around.

"Let's just make this quick and put the poor thing out of its misery," suggested Trask. He drew his sword and cautiously approached the bird. It uttered a caw that Seth guessed was supposed to be something like a battle cry but sounded like it was choking. The bird, weak as a newborn child, managed two steps before collapsing on the ground at Trask's feet. It glared up at the Knight looming over it, refusing to look away. Trask swung his sword down in an arc.

The blade sliced neatly through the brilliant plumage, scattering scarlet feathers, but didn't pierce the skin, skidding to the side instead. In fact, all it appeared to do was make the bird angry. Standing up straight (it seemed larger than it had a moment ago when it was hunched over), it stared up at Trask defiantly. Startled, the Knight attacked again. Seth thought it would have been a death blow, decapitating the bird or injuring it at the least, but it took flight, soaring backward, out of reach.

Seth's sheath glowed like Vasilis did in the heat of battle, casting a fiery light.

In the increased light, Seth wondered how he ever could have mistaken the bird's feathers for unkempt and messy. Vasilis's radiance complemented the bird's colors. It shone as if it were on fire.

The bird opened its mouth wide and let out a jet of flame. Mara dove into Melanie and Tanu, shoving them out of the way. The fire flew harmlessly over their heads. Screeching in rage, the bird lashed out at Trask with its talons. Caught by surprise, he stumped backward with three neat, parallel gashes across his chest.

Tanu rushed to help. He opened his potion pouch and bent over the fallen Knight. Seth ran over to protect the two, drawing Vasilis as he went. The moment the blade cleared the sheath, the cavern went dark. Seth swore under his breath. He had forgotten that things were reversed in the maze. He quickly switched to night vision.

The bird, taking advantage of the fact that its enemies couldn't see, launched another stream of fire. It missed Melanie and Mara by inches. They leaped to the side, startled.

"Seth, put away your sword!" Melanie instructed.

He sighed, but knew it was the right thing to do. It was better to have one person who couldn't fight because he couldn't use his weapon rather than four who couldn't fight because they couldn't see. At least he could see what he was trying to avoid.

While Tanu tended Trask, Mara and Melanie distracted the bird, but it wasn't as easily confused as the hydra was. It hovered a few feet off the ground so it could fight with its talons and its beak. As it swiped at Melanie, Mara rolled beneath it and stabbed upward. The bird roared in pain and flapped its wings rapidly, stirring up a gust of wind that blew them all backward. Seth stumbled and fell, landing painfully on his rear.

Trask cried out. At first Seth assumed it was because whatever potion Tanu was using stung his wounds, but he realized that Trask would never react like that. He could endure much more pain in silence. He glanced to where Trask lay on the ground. Tanu was frowning, studying the contents of his pouch. Several empty bottles were strewn about beside them. As he watched, Tanu sprinkled something on a bloodstained rag and dabbed at Trask's chest. Trask clenched his teeth as more dark red liquid streamed from his wounds. Tanu examined the label on the bottle and shook his head in disbelief. As Mara and Melanie ran from the bird, which now looked like the parent of its original appearance with its ten-foot-long wingspan, the pieces clicked into place for Seth.

Quickly Seth ran to Tanu and explained his theory. Nodding, the potion master uncapped a large bottle. "Over here!" he called to the bird. It swooped toward him and opened its mouth to release more fire. With precise aim Tanu hurled the open bottle into the bird's mouth. Some green liquid spilled, but enough made it in. The bird impulsively swallowed. Its eyes widened and it gagged as if choking; then it burst into flames and disintegrated. The necklace clattered to the ground.

Seth bent over Trask. He pulled his dagger from his belt. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and stabbed him in the claw marks. Immediately the blood dried up and the gashes closed.

Trask stood up and cautiously and patted his chest hesitantly. "Amazing," he said. "Your cleverness may save us all."

Melanie and Mara rejoined them. "That was amazing!" Melanie exclaimed. "What did you throw at it?"

"It was a healing potion," Tanu explained. "Seth saw that I was unable to heal Trask – in fact, I was making it worse – and guessed that it was reversed, too."

"He fixed me up by stabbing me," Trask put in.

"But what was the bird?" asked Mara. "It looked like a phoenix, but they are usually gentle creatures."

"Unless provoked," Tanu reminded her. "I daresay trying to kill it is considered provocation."

"But to murder a creature of light," Mara murmured. "The wizards truly want us to go to extremes to get this artifact."

Melanie retrieved the necklace to add the arrow to her makeshift quiver. As she broke the chain, a great groaning and creaking sound began. The ground trembled. Something pushed Seth from behind. He scooted to the side to get out of the way, but found that the force was there, too. With a jolt, he realized that the whole wall was moving! It seemed to be turning, too, as if pivoting around a center point. He decided his best bet was to let it push him wherever rather than attempting to find a way out and getting squished.

Finally, the wall stopped moving with a clang. The sudden silence was almost eerie. "Guess there's not much point to the map now," he said to break the quiet. "Everything's been moved around."

When no one responded, he said nervously, "Guys?"

Still nothing.

"Guys!" he called, a little louder. Glancing around, he saw that none of the others were with him. He tried to stifle his growing panic.

Finally a faint response: "Seth?" Melanie asked somewhere to his left.

"I'm here!" he yelled. He held his sheath high above his head, willing it to become brighter. It responded by giving off a bright white light, nearly blinding him.

"Stay where you are," directed Trask. "We'll come to you."

"The maze has changed," called Mara. "The map is useless, but I have the basic idea where we are."

"Just sit tight," said Tanu.

Seth paced back and forth, venturing a few feet in each direction. He encountered walls at his back and front, so he assumed he was in a passageway going from left to right. Or maybe back and forth. He had no idea where he was in relation to the entrance of the maze. He marveled at how Mara could keep her bearings.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to his companions' arrival. Soon the others appeared in the passage to his right. He moved to join them, surprised at how natural inverted walking had become. They marched forward a few yards and stopped when they entered another open area.

"That was convenient," said Trask. "If only the rest of us ended up where you did, Seth."

Seth took another backward step only to find he couldn't. Hesitantly, he told his leg muscles to move forward, and they did in the normal fashion. His light went out, but when he pulled Vasilis from its sheath the soft glow reappeared. "I think the reversal thing is fixed," he said.

"Only for as long as I am present," called an imperious voice.

Seth whirled around. He paused, taking in the cavern. It was very different from the one in which they had fought the phoenix. It reminded him of pictures he had seen of the Roman Colosseum: rows of elevated stone benches encircling an arena. A man stood in the center of the arena; Seth assumed this was who had called out. As he scrutinized the man, he blinked in shock. What on earth was _Bracken_ doing here?

On second glance, he could see it wasn't actually Bracken, but the resemblance was striking. Same height, same build. Their hair color was nearly identical, though this man wore his slightly darker hair shorter, just below his ears. The only difference lay in the face; while Bracken's was open and friendly, his was severe and angular. Still, they could have been twins, or at least brothers.

"I wanted a fair fight," the man went on, "so I used my power to counteract the spells in the maze."

"Who are you?" challenged Trask.

"I am Thorne, unicorn and enemy to all demons. I am also one of the final obstacles that stand between you and the artifact you seek. One of you may come forth to challenge me. The others must sit out; if they interfere, you will all regret it. If the challenger is worthy, you may proceed. If he – or she – is not, you are at my mercy. Choose one to meet me in battle. Choose quickly, fo my patience is short, but choose wisely, for the wrong decision may be the end of you." He said this all calmly and confidently, as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times. _Maybe he has,_ Seth thought. _It must get really boring in here._

They turned away from Thorne to converse quietly.

Mara was clearly outraged by the situation. "A unicorn?" she hissed. "Are they trying to make us outcasts by forcing us to kill creatures of purity? There is nothing more blasphemous than slaughtering a unicorn!"

"I don't know," Tanu said thoughtfully. "There was something about the way he worded it. He never mentioned winning or losing the fight, or killing each other."

"Remember how Bracken can sort of read your thoughts? Maybe this guy is going to do something like that and decide if we're 'worthy'," suggested Seth.

Mara frowned but seemed to accept his idea. They didn't have much choice if they wanted to get the Sword of Justice.

"But who should fight for us?" asked Melanie.

"I will," Seth and Trask volunteered at once.

"I was actually going to suggest Seth," Tanu said, surprising them all. "He trained obsessively with Mendigo, the limberjack, a few years ago, though not as much lately. I've had a mock duel with him a couple of times, and I can say from firsthand experience that he's quite good."

"I agree," said Melanie. "He did well against the hydra." Seth recalled the fight, but all he could think of was getting disarmed and being about to be eaten.

"Fighting hand-to-hand is different from fighting an animal," Trask pointed out. "Most magical creatures are slaves to their instincts, but this Thorne has undoubtedly been training for years. I can't imagine he got the job because he would be easy to fight."

"That's true, but Seth has the greater weapon," argued Melanie.

"You can't rely too heavily on that," Trask warned, speaking directly to Seth. "There is only so much Vasilis can do for you."

"Doesn't Seth get to speak up for himself?" Seth asked. "I killed Graulas and Nagi Luna, I can take this unicorn guy on."

"I believe your victory was aided by the fact that the demons underestimated you. Not that there wasn't skill involved," Trask added hastily. "I'm just trying to say that Thorne will not make the same mistake."

"He will expect us to send Tanu or Trask, clearly the most powerful fighters," said Mara. "Why not throw him off guard by sending the one he expects least?"

No one could come up with a better argument, though Trask still looked displeased. Seth climbed into the arena while the others found seats in the stands.

"A child," Thorne scoffed, seeing his opponent. "You set me against a _child_. Are you so sure you will fail against me that you sacrifice the weakest member of your party?"

Seth ignored the insults. Thorne was just trying to make him angry so he would make costly mistakes in the coming battle. Wordlessly he held out his sword. Vasilis spurted red flames, illuminating the arena.

Thorne seemed unimpressed. "A child with fancy toys, at least. Still, you'd best be more than a spoiled boy flaunting your powerful sword. This coming battle will push you to your limits." He pulled a unicorn horn from his belt, larger than any Seth had seen. He guessed it was his third horn, undoubtedly the most powerful. In Thorne's grasp, the horn transformed into a gleaming silver sword.

Without warning, Thorne lunged at Seth, aiming for his chest. Seth hardly had time to bring Vasilis up to intercept the blade, and even then he could only hold it off rather than pushing it away. Thorne pressed harder and Seth lost an inch of ground. He knew the unicorn could beat him right here; if it came down to a show of brute force, Seth didn't stand a chance. So rather than push his luck, he gave one last shove, ducked, and rolled to the side. As Thorne's sword stabbed into empty air, Seth was on his feet, whirling in a circle and jabbing at the unicorn's unprotected back. Thorne seemed to sense his attack and parried the blow, knocking Vasilis aside. Seth barely maintained his grip on the hilt.

Thorne feinted left. Seth didn't realize it was a trick until Thorne's sword was already swinging around to his right side. He rapidly reversed direction and brought Vasilis back to meet it, the sword guiding his hands. Seth was immensely grateful for the sword he had fetched with the help of the Singing Sisters so long ago. Without it, he could hold his own against Grandpa for a short while, but experienced fighters like Warren defeated him easily. He knew the theory behind sword fighting, but without Vasilis to help him, he would be utterly lost in the battle.

Their fight was like a dance, almost perfectly choreographed. Thorne would initiate a complex move, twisting and maneuvering his sword in strange ways. Seth would then respond, acting a little on instinct but often moving wherever Vasilis directed his hands. He parried, blocked, and occasionally got in an attack of his own, only to have them glance off of Thorne's sword harmlessly.

At first Seth thought he was holding his own, since Thorne had failed to land a blow. But gradually he became aware that he was progressing backward. Soon he would be pressed up against the first row of seats, which were separated from the arena by a low barricade. He knew what he had to do; he had read it in a dozen books, seen it in several movies. The only difference was that what was a standard move in fiction was difficult to pull off in real life. At least, it was for someone like Seth, who had never put it into practice.

Cool stone brushed his back and he knew it was time to act. Pushing off of the barricade, Seth vaulted over Thorne. The plan was to land on the other side of the unicorn and gain more space to move around, but Thorne seemed to have anticipated his maneuver. Reaching upward, he nudged Seth off to the side. Seth landed uncomfortably on his side. Before he could get his bearings, he found himself looking at Thorne's blade, which was pressed against the skin at his throat. He resisted the urge to swallow.

So this was it. They had gambled their chance at getting the Sword of Justice on his winning the battle and they had lost. How had he deluded himself into thinking he could defeat Thorne? He was just a kid. Sure, he had done some amazing things in the past, but that didn't automatically make him a good sword fighter. Someone with more experience, like Trask, would have stood a much better chance.

If nothing else, at least he would pay for his stupidity. Hopefully the others would get out. He closed his eyes and waited for the death blow.

And then the pressure on his throat vanished.

Seth opened his eyes and looked up at Thorne. The unicorn was extending his hand, clearly expecting Seth to take it. Seth took his hand gingerly, half expecting him to heave him over his shoulder and throw him against the wall. But Thorne just pulled him to his feet.

"Well fought, Seth Sorenson," Thorne praised. "Vasilis is a great sword, and it amplifies the skill you already have. Do not feel bad. No one has defeated me in thousands of years. You gave me the best fight I have seen in many centuries." He turned to the others, seated in the stands. "I sense that your intentions are noble. I can make no guarantee that things will pan out the way you expect them to, but I will not stand in your way. You may pass." He removed a beaded necklace Seth hadn't noticed before and tossed it lightly to Melanie, who caught it and broke the chain, pulling off the arrow. It joined the other two in her quiver.

"Return to the maze. Good luck." As Thorne said the words, a groaning noise began, signaling the turning of the walls inside the maze.

The five quickly exited. The switched to inverted walking and Seth sheathed his sword when they reached the edge of Thorne's domain. Once they were a good distance away, Tanu remarked, "That was odd."

"That's an understatement," Mara murmured.

"It was definitely strange," Trask agreed. "Letting us go, even though Seth lost the duel? In a place like this, that doesn't make sense. It's not about who wants the artifact for a good reason, it's about who can actually get past the traps."

"Speaking of traps, so far this has seemed pretty tame," commented Seth. "No vanishing steps, no poisonous blobs, nothing like that. Either you guys made the other stuff sound scarier than it really was, or this vault has been the easiest to access."

Tanu was shaking his head before he finished. "The others I've been in were distinctly more difficult."

"I agree," Mara seconded.

"Perhaps the wizards were in a rush to hide the artifacts after Zzyzx was closed?" Melanie suggested.

"You'd think this wouldn't be something they'd want to rust," Trask muttered. "Zzyzx is supposed to stand for eternity – or at least as close to that as we can get."

"I think the wizards may have grown a little lax," said Seth. "Sorta like Mark – the suicidal Eternal. They just can't keep going anymore."

"I fervently hope you are wrong," Trask said, "because I get the feeling the wizards will need their wits about them to solve this crisis."

They walked in silence for several minutes. Just when Seth was about to ask if they were lost – he had no idea where they were whatsoever – Mara announced that they were entering an area of the maze they hadn't been in yet. They quickened their pace and within moments entered a narrow cavern.

It was about ten feet wide but stretched at least ten times that in the opposite direction. A large, gaping abyss filled the center of the room. Seth couldn't see how they could possibly reach the other side. On the far wall, three targets, each about a yard wide, were mounted. Seth immediately guessed why they had collected the arrows.

Melanie appeared to have drawn the same conclusion. She grabbed the bow – formerly the key – from her back and pulled an arrow from her quiver. "The artifact is probably located behind one of those."

"It's the logical solution," Trask agreed. "But it seemed too simple."

"Do you think we need to get a bull's-eye, or would just hitting the target do?" Tanu wondered.

"Someone else had better shoot just in case," Melanie said. "I can fire an arrow just fine, but I'm not especially precise." She surrendered her bow and quiver to Mara.

Mara positioned herself so that she was perpendicular to the center target, nocked an arrow, and took careful aim. She pulled the bowstring back and let it go with a _twang_. The arrow sailed behind her, into the maze, and embedded itself firmly in the wall. Seth went to fetch it but couldn't pull it out. It was stuck fast.

"Guess that's reversed, too," he said.

"How am I supposed to do this?" Mara griped. "Stand with my back to the target and let one loose?"

Tanu and Trask exchanged a glance. "That might actually work," Tanu said.

"We'll help you aim," Trask added. Carefully, he and Tanu adjusted Mara until they were fairly certain the arrow would fly true. They backed out of the way as she pulled back the bowstring. She let go and the arrow shot to the other end of the room. At first Seth thought it was just a tiny degree too far to the left and would miss the target completely, but the back of the arrow connected with the outermost wring. The target disappeared, arrow and all.

"No Sword," Tanu observed.

Trask approached the edge of the gap and peered over. "Nothing seems to have changed," he reported.

"Guess we have to try again," Seth said.

Mara pulled the final arrow from the quiver. "Last one," she said. "What do you think – left or right?"

Seth shrugged. The others didn't have a suggestion, either.

"Right," Mara decided. She moved to the right side and turned her back on the remaining two targets. Trask and Tanu helped her aim the best they could, then moved out of her way again. Mara pulled back the string and let the last arrow fly. It zoomed straight backward, and the back end of the arrow pierced the target right in the middle.

"Bull's-eye," said Tanu.

The arrow and target vanished, revealing a glowing crevice. Seth was too far away to really tell, but he was certain it contained the Sword of Justice.

"Still no way to get across, though," Mara noted, facing the abyss.

"Maybe something invisible?" suggested Melanie. She prodded the open air at the edge of the gaping hole with the butt of her spear. A few feet from the left wall, it clunked into something solid. "Here!" she called.

They proceeded cautiously, treading slowly on the invisible pathway. Melanie kept her spear in front of her, constantly tapping the ground. A few times the path ended abruptly, and they had to feel around on all sides to figure out in which direction it turned. The only moment of panic came when Seth misstepped and his right food slid into empty air. He collapsed on the edge of the pathway, clutching it desperately. Tanu seized him in the armpits and heaved him back onto the path.

The rest of the journey was uneventful and they all made it across in one piece. As they passed the target on the left, Trask tapped it experimentally with his sword. "Seems fairly solid," he said. "We'd better hope we broke the right one, since we're out of arrows."

"This is the right one," Melanie said confidently. Trembling with excitement, she reached into the glowing crack where the target on the right used to be. With some effort, she pulled out a long, bloodred blade with a deep blue hilt. "The Sword of Justice," she breathed. Seth thought she almost seemed relieved.

"How did you know?" Mara challenged. "I thought you didn't know which artifact we were after."

Trask looked away guiltily. Seth realized that the Knight had let the true purpose of their visit to Lakemist slip at least once. But Melanie seemed to be thinking of something else.

"I have friends in high places," she said mildly. Seth thought the words sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard them before.

Melanie quickly drew a dagger from a sheath in her belt and stabbed Mara in the chest. She pulled it out and Mara crumpled to the ground. "Stupid woman," she spat. "Too perceptive for her own good. Nearly blew my cover, too."

Tanu knelt at Mara's side, examining her wound. "Trask took a step toward Melanie, sword held out threateningly. "Mel-" he began.

"Save it," Melanie snapped. From her backpack she pulled out a silver cylinder, studded with gems.

In that instant, Seth put it together. Melanie wasn't on their side. She was a traitor. And she had probably been employed by Estelle. _Friends in high places_ – that was the same thing Kendra had said the old woman had said when explaining how she knew so much. Somehow she had gotten a hold of the Translocator – the artifact from Hidden Glade? Yes! It all made sense. But now she had the Sword and was in the perfect position to deliver it to her boss so they could finish what they started: eliminate the Eternals.

"No!" he cried. But it was too late; Melanie twisted the Translocator and vanished, taking the Sword of Justice with her. He swore vehemently.

"We spent years working together," Trask mumbled to himself. His voice trembled "I thought I could trust her like I couldn't trust anyone else."

And then Trask, their fearless leader, who had taken them through Wyrmroost, through Obsidian Waste, and through the battle on Shoreless Isle, who Seth had thought of as invincible, sank to the ground and cried.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Bracken and Kendra sat in the crowded living room, waiting for the Knights to return from England. The other Eternals waited with them, their shape-shifters sitting or standing at their side, as well as all four of Kendra's grandparents and both of her parents. Bracken and the Sphinx engaged in quiet conversation, but for the most part there was no socializing. Despite Kendra's assurances that all six were truly Eternals, they looked at each other suspiciously.

When Tanu had called an hour ago to report that they had landed, he had been deliberately vague, saying only that just he and Seth would be returning to Fablehaven. Kendra knew it was wise not to discuss such things over the phone, but it only made her want to know more about the mission. First and foremost, did they get the artifact? Why weren't the others coming back with them? Were they all right? And who was the mysterious Knight Trask had recommended for the mission? Kendra consoled herself with the fact that they were due back any minute and refrained from tapping her foot impatiently.

The front door opened and Tanu entered, Seth right behind him. "We're back!" Tanu called, smiling pleasantly. The other Eternals may have interpreted the smile as the sign of a successful mission, but Kendra only needed to see her brother's face to know that they had failed. Bracken saw it, too, and took her hand reassuringly.

Tanu shot a glance at Grandpa Sorenson that said they needed to discuss what had happened in private. Grandpa shook his head. Kendra agreed; they needed to trust the Eternals, and they had e very right to know what had happened at Lakemist. With a resigned sigh, Tanu entered the room and found a space to stand. Seth leaned against the wall. All the chairs and sofas were taken.

Tanu came right out with it. "We lost the artifact," he said. "The other Knight with us, Melanie Johnson, is a traitor. We got right in to the heart of the vault, and she got the Sword ahead of us. She killed Mara and teleported away using the Translocator."

"Wait," Warren interrupted. "How did she have the Translocator?"

"The artifact from Hidden Glade," Seth explained. The dismay in his voice was almost palpable. "At least, that's what we think. Remember how we thought Estelle's walking stick as the key to the vault? It was actually the Lakemist key. That's why I thought it looked so familiar when Melanie had it. They had already retrieved the artifact from their preserve and they somehow had the key from Lakemist."

"Melanie is the caretaker's sister," Tanu said. "She had been to the preserve several times before. When we spoke to Sarah – the caretaker – after returning from the vault, she admitted that the key had gone missing after Melanie's most recent visit. She pretended she still had it to discourage us from going after the artifact and to hide her failure."

"We must act quickly," said the Sphinx when Tanu finished. "Our enemies have the Sword of Justice and the Translocator; if any of them have been to Fablehaven before, they can move against us immediately."

Kendra stood up. "We need to leave." The other Eternals also left their seats.

"Is the Fairy Queen going to let you guys live with her for a bit?" Seth asked.

She exchanged a glance with Bracken. "No," she answered bitterly.

"We shouldn't rush this," Grandma Larsen protested. "We have no save hideouts arranged."

"I would feel better on the move rather than sitting here," said Eric.

"I agree," Antoinette said.

"Wait," commanded Bracken. All heads turned to him. "We need to think this through a little. Sit down, let's discuss things."

Those standing obliged. They still kept their eyes on Bracken. Clearly they weren't going to suggest any ideas themselves.

Warren spoke and heads swiveled to him. "We need to split up, but no Eternal should go anywhere alone. Alone with only their shape-shifter, I mean. An extra set of eyes and ears is always handy. I propose we move cross-country. Think of a preserve, or a sanctuary, or an obscure place somewhere in the normal world where you don't think you'll be found. Drive, fly, whatever it takes, but I would suggest travelling legally to avoid attracting attention."

"Does everyone have a coin of some sort?" Bracken asked. He quickly collected a pile of change and cupped it in his hands. His hands glowed white for a moment, and then he redistributed the coins. "We can use these to keep in touch."

"Everyone got a plan?" Warren confirmed. The Eternals nodded hesitantly. "Great, let's move out."

As the other Eternals headed for the garage and their respective vehicles, Kendra approached her parents. She hugged them both. "I'm so sorry," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "For becoming an Eternal without asking, for getting kidnapped, for running off to the Fairy Realm without coming home first, and for having to leave again so soon."

"You did what you thought was best," said her dad awkwardly. Kendra guessed that they were still mad at her, but that there wasn't anything else they could say under the circumstances.

"We still love you, honey," her mom promised.

"Will we be able to visit?" her dad wanted to know.

Kendra shrugged. "Probably," she answered. "I'll call you when I get settled somewhere, okay?" Her mom nodded and hugged her again.

Her dad turned to Bracken. Kendra worried for a second about what he was going to say. Thought it had never been discussed in the open, he was probably aware that there was something going on between the two of them.

But he didn't embarrass her. He only said, "Take care of her."

Bracken nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir." Kendra wanted to roll her eyes at both of them, but she knew Bracken meant it and that her dad needed to hear it.

Warren poked his head back into the living room. "Are you two coming?"

Kendra nodded. "Bye," she said to her parents.

She and Bracken were the last ones to enter the garage. Most of the other Eternals had driven off. Vanessa slid behind the wheel of her sports car as Warren climbed in on the passenger side. The car backed out of the garage, turned around, and sped off along the long driveway.

Bracken surveyed the remaining vehicles. "Do you have a preference?" he asked Kendra.

"Not really." This all felt surreal to her. Only a few minutes ago she had been eagerly awaiting Seth and Tanu's return, anticipating the news that they had gotten the Sword of Justice. Then everything had turned upside down and suddenly they were on the run. This was the part of being an Eternal Kendra hadn't prepared for. "I have the keys to my car, though," she said. It wasn't really her car, of course, but it was the car her parents had trusted her with since she had learned how to drive.

She got in the driver's side and started the engine while Bracken sat down in the passenger seat. Gratiana, now in phoenix form, perched on Kendra's armrest. She pulled out of the driveway and soon they were cruising down the dirt road that lead to the preserve.

"Do we have a destination in mind?" asked Bracken.

"I haven't really had a chance to think about it," Kendra replied. "Where are the others headed?"

Bracken closed his eyes, probably listening to telepathic conversations with the other Eternals. After a few minutes he reopened his eyes and said, "Warren and Vanessa are heading to a preserve in Nebraska. Warren knows the caretaker, but he won't reveal anything. Antoinette is going to meet up with her sister in Detroit and see if she will travel with her. Jim and Eric are also seeking out relatives and friends. The Sphinx is traveling alone to Living Mirage. I tried to talk him out of it, because he is at more risk by himself, but he insists that Eliza will defend him. He intends to appeal to Agad."

"I think we should find someplace in the 'normal' world," Kendra decided. "I feel like if we don't associate ourselves with magical creatures, maybe we won't attract attention."

"We should drive a ways first," Bracken advised. "Put some distance between ourselves and the last place our enemies know we were."

"Sounds good."

They lapsed into silence. Bracken reclined his seat and closed his eyes, listening for reports from the others. Kendra was alone with her thoughts. She tried to ignore the fact that she was alone with Bracken and focus on the task ahead. She had no idea where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do with her life. Most girls her age would be finishing up high school or starting college. In what felt like another lifetime but was actually only a few years ago, she had considered going to a university. Now, going to school was the weirdest thing she could think of. After all she had been through, she couldn't imagine hanging out with 'normal' people. It made her sad to think how small her world had become.

They had been driving on the highway for a few hours and were currently in upstate New York when Bracken sat up abruptly. "Get off here," he instructed.

"Here?" Kendra repeated, startled. The nearest exit was approaching rapidly and she wasn't even in the correct lane.

"Yes, quickly," Bracken urged. Kendra swerved to the right without signaling, earning a honk from the minivan behind her.

As they coasted down the ramp, she looked at Bracken curiously. "That was sudden," she remarked.

"I sense something," he said, frowning slightly. "It feels like – but no, it can't be…" He trailed off.

"Is it a good something?" Kendra asked nervously. She comforted herself with the fact that Bracken wouldn't have her drive toward something dangerous.

"I don't know that I would use the word _good_, but I'm fairly certain it's not evil."

Kendra waited, but he didn't elaborate. "Where do you want me to turn?" she finally asked. They were approaching a town.

Bracken thought for a moment. "You're going to turn left," he said. "I'm not sure exactly where."

"Just give me a little warning this time," Kendra said.

After a long series of turns, Kendra had decided that either they were lost or Bracken had imagined whatever he was sensing. He could have just been paranoid since their enemies had the Sword of Justice and were probably hunting down the Eternals. But eventually he told her to park in front of a small, picturesque café.

"What are we doing here?" Kendra asked, slightly exasperated.

Bracken muttered to himself, "If it _is_ her…"

"Who?" Kendra demanded.

He left the car without replying. A few moments later, he entered the café.

Kendra sighed, frustrated. Wondering if unicorns could go crazy, she climbed out of the car and headed for the café. As she shut the door, she heard Gratiana sniff indignantly. Her shape-shifter had been a little put out since Kendra had gone to the Fairy Realm without her.

As soon as she set foot inside the cafe, she was overwhelmed with the scents of coffee and pastries. Her stomach rumbled. Seth and Tanu hadn't arrived until early afternoon, so she had been too worried to eat much for lunch. She ignored the internal growling and searched the room for Bracken.

She found him sitting at a table near the window with a dark-haired woman, a half-full cup of tea between them. Kendra thought she looked familiar, but she couldn't place her with the everyday, modern scenery around them.

"Brynn, what are you _doing_ here?" Bracken cried.

Kendra did a double take as she realized that the dark-haired beauty was Bracken's eldest sister. She could hardly recognize her in street clothes rather than the formal attire worn in the Fairy Realm. Brynn looked uncomfortable in her jeans and T-shirt, and she kept glancing over her shoulder. Why on earth was she _here_, in New York of all places?

"I wanted to apologize," Brynn said awkwardly.

"Apologize," Bracken repeated, his tone emotionless.

"For the way I acted before." Brynn took a deep breath. "You were right. I was caught in tradition. I could only see you as _unicorn_ and Kendra as _human_. I couldn't imagine that you could actually… love her."

"Because you spend too much time with your books to fully understand emotion," Bracken muttered sourly.

"No, don't," Kendra protested, coming over to sit with them. There was no need for a family argument. "I know what she means. She was blinded by her prejudices and couldn't see what was really going on. Or it could be sort of like what you said a few days ago – she couldn't conceive of such emotion, since her life is almost passionless. Your time in the human world – particularly the dungeon at Living Mirage – has changed you, I bet, and allows you to experience new things."

When she finished, she cringed, waiting for both of them to blow up at her, fearing she had gone too far. But Brynn shocked her by chuckling a little.

"You're the most perceptive human I've met," she said. "But as you said, I haven't met many humans."

Bracken visibly relaxed, sitting more comfortably in his chair. "Apology accepted. And I suppose that I, too, should apologize. Now I can see it from your point of view. I understand why you said the things you did."

"But why are you _here?_" Kendra asked Brynn. "Why didn't you just come directly to Fablehaven?"

"That was my intent in the beginning," said Brynn. "Just before I left the Fairy Realm, however, I decided to ruminate on what I was going to do first. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to say, or how to get Bracken on his own to avoid a scene. So instead I traveled to a shrine on a preserve near here."

"Why did you decide to come to Earth in the first place?" asked Bracken. "You've always expressed your feelings about unicorns coming here quite… vehemently."

"I would prefer to remain in the Fairy Realm, it's true," Brynn admitted. "However, after your recent conversation with our mother–" (Bracken and Kendra cringed at the memory) "-I deduced that you would not be returning in the foreseeable future. Additionally, for the first time in many years, I felt inclined to be somewhere that Mother was not. She was… upset, to put it mildly."

"So now what?" Kendra wondered. Bracken looked at Brynn expectantly.

"I disagree with Mother about the Eternals," she said. "She _should_ have sheltered the six of you. Normally I would disapprove of housing humans, but under the circumstances, it would have been wise. Now, obviously, seeking refuge in the Fairy Realm is not an option. Since you are here and not at Fablehaven, I have drawn the conclusion that you are traveling to a safe place for Kendra to say. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

"There's more to it than that," Bracken said. Kendra waited for him to explain the events of the morning, but he only gazed intently into his sister's eyes. She realized they were communicating mentally.

After a few minutes, Brynn said, "If that's the case, I should certainly go with you. Between the two of us, we can protect her from most dangers."

"We'd be too conspicuous," Bracken argued. "Two unicorns together in the human world – every magical creature within fifty miles would notice us."

"No more conspicuous than one," Brynn pointed out. "Kendra alone will attract attention, because of her unique aura."

"If that's the case, it sounds like I should go alone with Gratiana," Kendra said.

"Absolutely not," Bracken and Brynn said as one. Bracken glanced at his sister, surprised. Brynn looked a little startled herself. Apparently they didn't often agree.

"We can compromise," Brynn said. "We don't have to travel together – I rented a car. I don't have to stay permanently, either, just long enough for the Knights of the Dawn to recover the Sword of Justice."

Bracken looked to Kendra. "What do you think?"

She shrugged. "That's fine with me," she said. It made her a little nervous to have Brynn with them, since she had disliked Kendra up until recently, but she couldn't see any harm in it.

"Brynn and I will drive together," Bracken decided. "We may arouse suspicion, but if we aren't directly associated with Kendra, she won't be in any greater danger. Kendra, do you have the coin I gave you?"

"Shoot, I forgot," she groaned. In their haste to leave Fablehaven she hadn't had the chance to grab anything.

"I think if Gratiana stays in fairy form…" He trailed off, concentrating. "Yes, we can communicate that way."

"Is this safe?" Kendra asked. He had specifically told the other Eternals not to travel alone.

"We'll be right behind you," Brynn reassured her.

"Let's go," Bracken said, sounding somewhat impatient. "Lingering here is making me nervous."

"What is it?" Brynn asked, concerned. Apparently more had been revealed in Bracken's thoughts than he had said.

He frowned slightly. "It's nothing in particular. Just a feeling."

Kendra glanced around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but perhaps it would be best to get moving.

"We should leave," Brynn said, echoing Kendra's thoughts. She placed a few bills on the table to pay for her tea and stood. Bracken and Kendra stood, too, and the three left.

Once outside, Brynn walked toward her rented car. Bracken lingered beside Kendra for a moment longer. "Be safe," he instructed softly.

"We'll be fine," Kendra promised. After a second's thought, she added, "Stay close. Just in case."

"Don't worry," Bracken murmured. He hugged her close and kissed her on the lips. Kendra felt her heart speed up as she returned the kiss, wishing the moment could last forever.

Brynn cleared her throat quietly but pointedly.

The two broke apart. Bracken shot a teasing glare at his sister, who maintained an air of innocence.

"I'll find us someplace to stop for dinner and spend the night," Kendra said. "We'll see you again shortly."

She got into her car and started the engine. Gratiana sat on the edge of Kendra's headrest, seeming fixated on braiding her turquoise hair. She only looked up when Kendra pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the road. "Now unicorn?" she asked, surprised. She appeared to have outgrown her initial infatuation with unicorns, becoming more and more casual around Bracken. Kendra wondered if she was jealous and felt a little guilty.

"Bracken's riding with his sister," Kendra explained.

Gratiana perked up. "You mean I can finally perform my duties as protector and companion?" she asked.

"Gratiana, you have always fulfilled your duties," Kendra said. "I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"But Bracken-"

Kendra cut her off. "You're both special to me. I couldn't get through this without either of you."

"I know I haven't been especially helpful since you returned from the Fairy Realm," Gratiana apologized. "I suppose I was a little envious of Bracken."

"Don't worry about it," Kendra reassured her. "I promise not to ignore you anymore."

Feeling better with that out of her system, Kendra turned the radio on and whistled along to a familiar pop tune. Gratiana relocated to her shoulder and, after listening intently for a minute, joined in, singing an octave above the melody. Driving along the highway, singing with the radio, Kendra felt so _normal_ that she almost laughed. She relaxed for the first time in days.

She just wished she knew what she was doing.

**Author's Note:**

My original plan was to end _Eternity_ with ten chapters, but chapter ten got so long that I just split it in two. As a result, both are on the shorter side, but there are worse things. I could bore my faithful readers to death, for example. This is the first installment, and the second should hopefully be posted soon.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Was it too random that I had Brynn show up again? I had that thought as I was writing this, but I am determined to recreate a certain scene that I have envisioned since I wrote chapter five. All I'm going to say is that when I was discussing this story with my friend, the subject came up that Bracken was a rather flat character (and yet I managed to write two paragraphs on him for an assignment xD) and she said that I needed to make him more "angsty." All shall be revealed in the eleventh (and final!) chapter of _Eternity_!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The peaceful, ordinary atmosphere was shattered when Gratiana stiffened, gazing out the window as if in a trance.

Kendra turned down the music. "What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Eric was ambushed," Gratiana replied in a hushed tone.

Kendra's eyes widened. Barely able to focus on the road in front of her, she asked, "What happened?"

"He was just outside Boston. He stopped for gas and they cornered him," Gratiana explained.

"Who?" Kendra breathed. Was Estelle involved? Were her henchmen, Ed and Brutus? The traitorous Knight of the Dawn, Melanie Johnson?

"Two trolls, a handful of goblins, and a human. Eric didn't stick around to find out who it was. He knew he was outnumbered, so he ran. Apparently he can move quickly when he has to. He was near enough to his brother's house that they could head out together."

"Is he all right?"

"Yes. Jameson – Eric's shape-shifter – said it didn't seem like they were trying to kill him, just capture him."

"So someone else has the Sword of Justice," Kendra guessed.

Gratiana shrugged. "As far as we know."

A thought occurred to Kendra: why hadn't Eric contacted Bracken himself? "You heard this from Eric's shape-shifter?" she clarified. Gratiana nodded. "Does Bracken know?"

"I'm telling him now. Eric lost his coin when he escaped," Gratiana explained.

"What does he think about this?" Kendra asked.

"It makes him nervous not to have means to directly communicate with one of the Eternals," Gratiana reported. "He encourages you to find a hotel soon. He also wants to know if you've noticed how empty the road is. It's not that late in the evening; shouldn't there be other cars about?"

Kendra glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was just after seven and darkness was falling rapidly. Remembering that normal people couldn't see in the dark, she switched on the headlights. The glow illuminated an empty stretch of road in front of them. She checked her rearview mirror and saw only a pair of lights behind them that probably belonged to Brynn's car. No one else was around, not even on the other side of the road. "It's definitely weird," she agreed.

She began scanning the road signs for exits with lodging. At the first sign of a reputable hotel she pulled into the exit lane. Behind her, Brynn followed.

As they turned onto the ramp, Gratiana asked nervously, "Do you feel that?"

Kendra shook her head. Her powers as fairykind didn't include sensing things the way Bracken – and apparently Gratiana – could. "What is it?"

"There are magical creatures about," Gratiana whispered.

"Is there a preserve nearby?" Kendra wondered, but somehow she knew there wasn't.

"I don't think so," Gratiana replied, confirming Kendra's doubts. "It doesn't feel the same as Fablehaven or Hidden Glade. These creatures aren't bound by a treaty."

"I don't like this," Kendra muttered. "What does Bracken say?"

Gratiana listened for a moment. "Pull over," she instructed.

Peeking behind her, Kendra saw that Bracken and Brynn had stopped on the side of the road. She stopped on the shoulder, but left the engine running. Just in case.

She got out of the car and headed for the two. Gratiana fluttered out behind her. Landing gently on the ground, the fairy closed her eyes and glowed brightly. Rapidly her limbs elongated and she shot upward. She had transformed into a dryad, a tall, stately wood nymph in a flowing gown embroidered with leaves.

Gratiana stretched. "This form suits me better, I think," she said, her voice pitched deeper. "Easier to blend in. My thoughts are less shallow."

Bracken started running, quickly closing the distance between them. Brynn followed not too far behind. He began speaking even before he reached them. "Our enemies are closing in," he said. "They started following us the moment we got off the highway."

Kendra tensed automatically, preparing to dash back to the car. "Can we outrun them?"

"Not likely," Brynn answered, just reaching them.

"But surely we can't fight them," said Gratiana in her new, majestic voice.

Bracken frowned, considering. "It will be very close."

"How many?" Kendra asked.

"Two wyverns, at least half of a dozen minotaurs, and several humans," Brynn reported.

"'Very close?'" Kendra repeated incredulously. It sounded like an impossible battle to her.

"Brynn and I still have our horns," Bracken reminded her. "And since Brynn has her third horn, she can work magic to an extent."

"Gratiana, will you need a weapon?" Brynn asked the dryad.

Gratiana nodded and scanned the surrounding landscape. "I think I can make one," she replied. Without warning, she sprinted away from the highway. Kendra marveled at the grace with which she moved. It was almost like she was dancing. And then she returned – only a few seconds had passed – clutching a short limb of a young tree.

"I'm sorry," Gratiana whispered to the branch. Her voice sounded even richer than before, and Kendra could tell that she wasn't speaking English. "It is an emergency. Will you serve me?" As she said the words, the branch reshaped itself into a long, two-handed sword. It appeared to be made of wood, the same dark brown color as the bark that had covered the branch, but Kendra guessed it was just as deadly as the blades Bracken and Brynn wielded.

Kendra drew her own sword. There was nothing remarkable about it, but it had served her well in the past.

"You shouldn't fight," Bracken advised her. "The whole point of this is to keep you alive."

"Even if you guys die in the process?" Kendra demanded. She felt panic creeping up on her. She had accepted that she might die – their enemies had the Translocator and the Sword of Justice, after all – but she hadn't considered that the others could perish, too, until she said the words aloud.

"I am willing to die to keep the demon prison sealed," Brynn said seriously.

"There is no point in us continuing to live if you die, Kendra," said Gratiana calmly. "We will die if that is what it takes to ensure Zzyzx remains closed, but you and the other Eternals _must_ live on."

"But she _should_ fight," Brynn said. She addressed the group at large, but she looked directly at Bracken. "There's no point in her standing around as an easy target."

Bracken frowned, but he didn't say anything else. Instead he pulled his second horn from his belt. As he did so, it transformed into a gleaming silver sword. Brynn did the same, although Kendra guessed it was her third horn.

"What do we do now?" Kendra asked nervously. If they were just going to stand there and wait, she didn't think she could take the suspense.

"They are almost upon us," Brynn said. "Be ready."

A wolfish howl split the quiet air. Kendra flinched, then slipped into a battle-ready stance. It had sounded like it was a good distance away, but still too close to comfort.

"Less than a mile," Bracken warned. "Hold your ground."

Without warning Gratiana leapt into the air (far higher than Kendra would have thought possible, her feet clearing their heads) and swung her sword, severing a twisted claw from a massive winged beast. A huge shadow passed over them, soared away, and returned for a second pass.

Bracken shifted his position so he stood protectively in front of Kendra. "Wyverns," he spat.

"I remember they attacked us when we were trying to protect the original Eternals," Kendra said, eying the monsters flying overhead. Gratiana had managed to climb onto one wyvern and rode it like a horse, getting in a few blows between its attempts to throw her off. Brynn kept the other distracted near the ground. "How did we defeat them?"

"Raxtus," Bracken replied regretfully. "He was a great asset against flying enemies."

Gratiana's wyvern flapped its leathery wings viciously and the dryad went flying backward. Halfway through a midair somersault, Gratiana transformed into a phoenix. She regained altitude and dove at the wyvern, spitting lengthy tongues of flame. The scent of scorched fur filled the air as the flames found their mark.

Abruptly, Bracken shoved Kendra to the ground and swung his sword upward in the same moment. The silver blade pierced the heart of the minotaur that had been about to snatch Kendra. He confronted a second minotaur before it could reach them. Three more converged on him. Kendra stood up, determined to help, desperately trying to recall all she knew about sword-fighting, which wasn't that much to begin with.

The scent of livestock filled her nostrils and she looked up to see a minotaur looming over her. She erratically stabbed at it, but her sword just glanced off its skin. The jarring impact made her gasp and clutch her wrist. It didn't seem to be broken, but she had dropped her sword and the minotaur was upon her. She stared up at the bull-like creature, comforting herself with the fact that it couldn't actually kill her, just cause serious injuries.

And then Kendra heard the sound of flesh tearing and saw the point of a sword protruding from the minotaur's chest. Its eyes rolled back in its head and it toppled backward. Bracken stepped out from behind the corpse.

"I changed my mind," Kendra squeaked. "I'll stay out of the fighting."

Bracken nodded, but he seemed distracted. "Good idea. We finished off the minotaurs, and Gratiana and Brynn have almost defeated the last wyvern, but Brynn said there were humans involved in the chase. They should be here at any minute."

Kendra scanned the horizon. As her gaze swept over the highway, she noticed a small dot that was coming over a hill and rapidly getting close. "There," she said, pointing.

"I see it." Bracken clenched his fist on the hilt of his sword.

Brynn and Gratiana rejoined them, Gratiana back in dryad form, looking slightly disheveled but uninjured. "Seven," Brynn reported as the dot became more detailed. It was a car, heading rapidly toward them. In the quiet they could almost detect the whine of its engine.

Bracken's jaw tightened. "I don't like these odds," he muttered.

"We can defeat them," Brynn said confidently.

"We probably could, in the end, but that's not what I'm worried about. At most, you, Gratiana, and I can only engage two foes at a time. All we need is for the seventh to have the Sword of Justice-" He broke off.

"Have faith," said Brynn solemnly. "We _will _prevail."

The car drew nearer. Kendra could now tell it was actually a minivan.

"Kendra, get behind us," Gratiana ordered. "We'll meet the assault." Kendra willingly obliged. She had no desire to meet their enemies head-on.

The minivan came nearer and nearer until Kendra could read the numbers on its license plate. She noted that it was from Québec. Then it blew past, its tires churning up a cloud of dust. Kendra whirled around to watch it pass. When it was a few hundred feet behind them – near where they had parked their cars – it made a wide U-turn and drove back toward them.

As it screeched to a halt a few feet away and men in armor piled out, Brynn tackled Gratiana and both tumbled to the ground. An arrow whizzed over their heads. Kendra spied the archer ducking back into the car from the sunroof and wished she had a bow of her own. She could handle a longbow much better than a sword.

Bracken rushed to meet the line of fighters. Two broke away from the main group to intercept him. The three stepped deftly in a deadly dance. Even though he didn't have a shield, Bracken managed to defend his unprotected left side by expertly deflecting blows with the flat of his blade. The battle reminded Kendra of his fight with the Gray Assassin when they were protecting Civia, one of the former Eternals. He was evenly matched and could only hold his own, hardly able to get in a single counterstrike.

Gratiana confronted two more men. Though they were clearly as skilled as those Bracken fought, they seemed to be in awe of her beauty and grace. They made careless mistakes as they watched her delicately return their attacks. One shook himself crossly when she disarmed him and sulkily retrieved his sword. When the intensity of their fight increased, Gratiana skipped lightly ahead of them until they were practically running to keep up with her. Exchanging blows all the way, she lured them away from Kendra.

Brynn bravely engaged the last three fighters. Together, she and Bracken formed a protective barrier between their enemies and Kendra, repositioning themselves as they tried to circle around. Though Brynn moved with lightning speed and managed to deliver a few nasty cuts to her attackers, they were clearly too much for her and the strain was beginning to show. While she repelled one blade and twisted around to block the second, the third broke through her defense and opened a gash along her right leg.

Bracken noticed his sister's wound, and tried to come to her aid. He dispatched one attacker by stabbing him in the gut at the price of taking a hit to his shoulder, but even as he grimaced in pain, he whirled and, snaking around his opponent's sword, finished the other with a thrust to the chest. Before even half of a minute had passed, he was at Brynn's side, covering for her as she pressed her free hand against the rapidly spreading silver stain and uttered a few soft words. When she took her hand away, the cut was gone, leaving only a tear in her jeans to show it had ever existed.

The three remaining enemies – Gratiana and the other two were still several yards away – exchanged a glance and nodded. The ferocity of their attacks increased. Kendra backed up even farther, prepared to run if either Bracken or Brynn fell.

_Is that all you're going to do? Run?_ challenged a voice in her head.

Kendra was pondering this when a brilliant flash of light illuminated the battlefield. It faded, but didn't vanish completely. She took her eyes off of the vicious duel to observe Gratiana. The dryad was now a phoenix and scarlet flames had engulfed one of the unsuspecting men, resulting in the flash. The resulting fire was at least four feet high. It was difficult to discern through the smoke and from so far away, but it looked like Gratiana could handle her fight.

It was possible that they might actually win.

The decision was made in a split second. She was good for more than cowering and running. Yes, she ran, but she sprinted toward where she had dropped her sword after the minotaur attacked her. As soon as she picked it up, the fight broke apart, their enemies stepping in opposite directions, forcing Bracken and Brynn to separate. Kendra quickly assessed the situation. Her impulse was to run to aid Bracken, but his sister still struggled against two of the three foes. She approached Brynn, waiting for an opening.

As Kendra neared the fight, one of the attackers looked up. Kendra was surprised to see she was a woman, but fear instantly overruled her other emotions, for the woman's weapon was clearly the Sword of Justice.

She backed away slowly. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she hesitated to turn her back on the deep-red blade, the color of fresh blood, glinting in the moonlight. Suddenly, the woman lunged forward, the point of her sword aimed at Kendra's throat. She met the Sword of Justice with her own sword, surprised the blade didn't shatter on impact. The woman didn't hesitate before attacking again. Kendra parried the blow, as she deflected every subsequent attack. She had no thought of going on the offensive, only to keep the deadly blade away from her. As she battled, the world around her turned to a haze. There was only her, her sword, and the Sword of Justice.

At one point, Kendra stopped a blow inches from her neck. The woman pressed harder, and the interlocked swords slid closer.

"Ever wonder why the sixth artifact is called the Sword of Justice?" the woman hissed. The Sword seemed to be vibrating in her grip, but Kendra realized the woman's hand was shaking. When Kendra didn't answer, the woman pressed on, "No one should live forever, particularly not a once-ordinary mortal like you. You were no different from the rest of us! And this sword is the only weapon that can bring you to justice."

The woman drew her sword back, momentarily surprising Kendra, almost enough for the woman to injure her. But she brought her sword up to meet the Sword, and the duel began again.

Kendra thought she was doing fairly well until the woman disarmed her with an expert flick of her wrist. Kendra's sword was yanked from her hand and went landed ten feet away, too far for her to retrieve it quickly. And it didn't matter – the Sword of Justice was on a path directly to her heart. In an instant, it would be there.

Something rammed into Kendra from the side and she toppled over. She hit the ground hard and the air left her lungs with a _whoosh_. As she struggled to restart her breathing, she became conscious of arms tight around her waist; Bracken had pushed her out of the way. But then the pressure vanished and she heard a strangled cry. "No!"

Though its original target was gone, the Sword of Justice continued on its deadly arc. The fight had brought Brynn and Kendra back-to-back, and the fatal stroke intended for one was going to finish the other instead.

Seemingly from nowhere, a beautiful golden bird dropped from the sky, so fast Kendra was hardly aware of the movement. The phoenix pushed Brynn away as the Sword entered her own body. Fire spread from the wound and slowly consumed Gratiana's corpse.

Everyone froze in shock, except for Brynn, who remained unaware of her near-death experience. With an expert slice, she beheaded her remaining foe and turned to face the others. Her eyes widened as she took in the situation: Bracken and Kendra in a tumbled heap on the ground, Bracken looking anguished and Kendra with tears sliding down her cheeks; the woman in the leather armor still holding the Sword of Justice in front of her.

Before anyone could say anything, the woman threw the Sword of Justice at her feet. "I surrender!" she cried helplessly, looking desperately from Bracken to Brynn and back. She trembled incessantly.

Without a word, Bracken picked up the Sword and hurried back to where they had left the cars. Kendra guessed he was going to stow it away safely before anything happened to it.

Brynn pointed her own sword at the woman's throat. "Don't move," she warned. To Kendra, she said, "What has occurred to cause you and my brother to look so defeated?"

Kendra tried to piece the events together. Indicating the woman, she said, "She disarmed me, and she was about to kill me. Bracken saw what was happening, I think, and pushed me out of the way. But her attack was going to hit you instead, and then Gratiana came out of nowhere and took the hit." Fresh tears formed and tumbled from her eyes as she remembered the shape-shifter's noble sacrifice.

Brynn nodded, as if Kendra had answered an unspoken question. She turned to face the woman. "You will be brought before the Captain of the Knights of the Dawn for judgment. If you attempt to harm one of us, you will be executed without question. Am I understood?"

The woman nodded mutely. Brynn took her wrists in her hands. When the woman shuddered violently, Brynn snapped, "I'm not going to hurt you." Her hands shed waves of soft white light, and when she took them away, golden shackles had formed on the woman's wrists. With some difficulty, the woman stood, and the three walked to the cars in silence.

Bracken was waiting outside Kendra's car. When she reached him, they hugged briefly. Bracken made to get into the passenger seat, but Brynn stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, brother," she ordered softly.

"Brynn, I'm _sorry_," Bracken whispered hoarsely. Kendra thought he sounded like he was going to cry. Something told her that he wasn't only sad over Gratiana's death. Yes, it was a tragic loss – Kendra knew better than anyone – but it wasn't enough to elicit such a strong reaction from one who normally hid his emotions. And besides, his response didn't make sense. What did Bracken have to apologize for?

"I said I was willing to die to protect the Eternals," Brynn said, echoing the conversation they'd had before the fight."

"Yes, but at the time, I wasn't thinking of that." Bracken still refused to meet her gaze. "I could have deflected the blow, but I only thought of the most effective way to save Kendra. I didn't mean to choose her over you." His voice broke on the last sentence. Now Kendra understood – he thought that by saving her instead of Brynn, he had chosen her over his family. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know what to say.

Brynn stepped near him and put her arm around him. "It matters not what your motivations were. Kendra is alive, the Eternals are safe, and we have reclaimed the Sword of Justice. Do not berate yourself over things you cannot change."

Kendra, feeling very awkward, retreated to her car. Bracken joined her a few minutes later, and Brynn led their captive to her car. Neither of them spoke as Kendra made a U-turn and headed for the Interstate – back the way they had come. At the moment, the only place she wanted to be was Fablehaven, where she would be safe and secure and could be with her family.

Kendra and Seth sat on deck chairs on the porch overlooking the yard at Fablehaven. Fairies fluttered among the rose bushes and the scattered clumps of lilies, making sure that not even the smallest shrub wilted in the slightest. Hugo was carrying Dale out of the yard and into the forest, off to inspect some part of the preserve. Grandpa was down at the stables, managing the livestock. Everything was normal, as it should be.

"Why do you always get to have the cool adventures?" Seth complained. Kendra had just finished telling him what had happened after they fled Fablehaven.

"It wasn't cool, it was terrifying," Kendra retorted. "We had no idea if we were being chased or how safe we really were out in the normal world. Plus, we didn't get to fight a dragon, a phoenix, or a unicorn."

"That's true," Seth conceded. "The hydra was pretty cool."

Kendra sighed. Only her brother would think nearly getting eaten by a multi-headed lizard was _cool_.

"I still can't believe you guys got to see Melanie," said Seth.

"That was weird," Kendra greed. "I guess it makes sense that she was involved in the hunt, since she found the Sword, but it seemed kind of random that she chose to go after me instead of one of the other Eternals."

"I think she's trying to get revenge on me because Thorne didn't kill me," Seth said.

"What does killing me have to do with getting revenge on you?" wondered Kendra.

"Maybe she thought I would be so overcome with grief that I would commit suicide," he suggested. "Or maybe it wasn't about me at all. Maybe she held a grudge against Bracken."

Kendra blushed. "You're a nutcase," she said.

"Where is Unicorn Boy today, anyway?" asked Seth.

She rolled her eyes. "_Bracken_ returned to the Fairy Queen's realm with his sister," she replied evenly.

Seth noticed the change in her tone. "Jealous of Brynn?" he teased. "Bracken's not going to _date_ her or anything. They're related!"  
"Shut up," said Kendra, elbowing him in the ribs. "They just went to smooth things over with the Fairy Queen."

"If you ask me, _she_ should be the one apologizing to _them_," Seth muttered. "She was kind of pigheaded about the whole thing with the Eternals."

"Shh," Kendra hushed him, glancing at the fairies to see if they had heard.

"What, you think she's spying on us?" Seth asked. He stood up and faced the woods, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey, everyone, the Fairy Queen's a-"

"Sit down!" Kendra pulled on his shirt, dragging him down into his chair. "And don't say anything stupid. More stupid than usual, I mean."

Seth's eyes widened with false innocence. "Me? Stupid?" But he relaxed in his chair again. "At least she took the Sword."

"Yes, that was nice of her," said Kendra with a sly smile. Bracken and Brynn had decided that it would be best for the Sword of Justice to be kept in the Fairy Realm for a few hundred years while everyone forgot about the Eternals. With the imprisonment of Melanie and Estelle, most of Bracken's rage about the incident had cooled, but he had still planned to vent to his mother about how she hadn't taken action and one of her daughters had almost died as a result. After that argument, the Fairy Queen had agreed, somewhat sheepishly, to hide the Sword in her realm.

"What are you going to do when he gets back? Are you going to take off on us again?" Seth's tone was light, but Kendra knew this question had been weighing heavily on her brother's mind. By now the other Eternals had settled in: Eric was living with his brother in a suburb of Boston; Antoinette planned to return to southern France; Warren had applied for a job at the Twilit Fjord preserve in Nebraska; the Sphinx, with Agad's guidance and the approval of Celebrant, had moved into Blackwell Keep at Wyrmroost; and Jim had invested in a condominium in Florida. Everyone had watched Kendra nervously since her return, waiting for her to announce that she wanted to move out.

"Are you kidding? I can't imagine living anywhere other than Fablehaven. I would miss you guys like crazy," Kendra replied.

Seth grinned. "Good. I'm glad being an Eternal didn't make you think you were too good to associate yourself with the likes of me."

"I thought that _before_ I became an Eternal," Kendra laughed.

Oh, it was good to be home. It felt nice to relax and tease her brother, maybe go swimming in the afternoon, or perhaps wander the gardens and secretly admire the fairies. Maybe she would help Grandpa with the livestock or weed the vegetable patch with her mom. She loved the atmosphere at Fablehaven. It was a feeling she wanted to last for all eternity.

**Author's Note:**

There's a lot I want to say about _Eternity_, positive and negative, but let's start with the good stuff.

First of all, I can't believe I actually finished. It would have been so like me to give up halfway through, or to go for months without updating. Yet in less than five months, I managed to write eleven chapters, each at least twice as long as anything I've written in a different story. (Has it really only been five months? It feels like forever ago that I started.)

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story, since reviewers are an author's best friend. One particular reviewer I would like to acknowledge is Scarlet daydreamer, who was very dissatisfied with the way I ended chapter four (the Fairy Queen appears in a puff of smoke and whisks Bracken and Kendra away to the Fairy Realm). At the time it caught me a little off guard, since I'm not really used to critique on Fanfiction. Now, looking back on their review, I have two thoughts. One, my dad once told me that no one appreciates an editor; the author hates them because they say their story is awful, and the public doesn't know how much they really help a story. I may not have appreciated the criticism at the time, but I do now. Second, as nice as some of the other reviewers have been, Scarlet daydreamer's is the one that will always stick out in my memory.

I have a lot of regrets about _Eternity._ How I started it. How I ended it. The cheesy romance (which I personally think improved toward the end, but was a little off in chapter five). How I didn't have any plot in mind when I first started. How long my chapters ended up being (especially chapters four, five, eight, and nine – jeez!). How short the overall story was in the end. And this is going to sound really cheesy, but I'm glad I made those mistakes, because now I can learn from them and be an even better writer in the future.

Thank you for reading to the end of my story and tolerating this really long author's note. I hope you enjoyed reading _Eternity_ as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
